Locum Tenens
by snowballs
Summary: Locum Tenens – place holder, substitute. Paige & Emily have been connected through only one girl. Jai has been Emily's girlfriend for almost 3 years & Paige's best friend for 7. When she died, the dynamic between the two drastically shifted. As Emily slowly comes to grips with her loss, she enters into a tentative relationship with Paige. But has Emily truly let go? Paily AU.
1. mutantur : chapter i

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

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**PART ONE: "Mutantur Omnia Nos Et Mutamur In Illis"**

_~ All things change, and we change with them. ~_

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**CHAPTER ONE**

Emily Fields lived for Saturday mornings. For as long as she could remember, whenever Fridays came to an end, she found herself looking forward to waking up the next day knowing Saturday mornings were reserved for breakfasts at the Hayes household. It has always been like that. Since her freshman year in high school, after her girlfriend of almost three years walked up to her after a grueling first day and introduced herself, instantly making her day a hundred times better, Emily spent Saturday mornings having breakfast with her girlfriend's family and she wouldn't have it any other way.

As she looked around the table, Emily felt a sense of happiness and contentment. It was rare that for someone as young as them, she and Jai Hayes are in a mature relationship and had their entire future planned out. While all around them couples tend to fight about the simplest and silliest of things, their relationship was one of support and stability. They were secure about their importance in each other's lives and Emily loved that. She also loved the fact that her girlfriend is probably the most attentive girlfriend ever to walk the face of the earth, smiling when Jai took one look at her empty coffee mug and immediately stood up to refill it, making Emily's coffee the way she preferred it, two scoops of cream and one scoop of sugar.

For a while, Emily shifted her attention from the morning chatter to study her girlfriend as Jai walked back from the kitchen counter towards the dining table, moving effortlessly as if she wasn't holding a mug with a steaming beverage. At 5'10", Jai was easily a good two inches taller than her, the girl's slender build, clear skin, sleek shoulder-length layered black hair and attractive facial features making her a strong contender to be a runway model if she wanted to. But Jai isn't destined to be a model. She is much too smart for that. Jasmine Hayes was destined for far greater things in life and everyone around her knew that. The girl could be an engineer, an architect, a lawyer, a scientist, a doctor, maybe even someone who could discover a cure for some unknown illness. Whatever she decides to be people just knew she would excel at it. That was one of the reasons why Emily felt she was the luckiest girl on the planet when Jai asked her to officially be her girlfriend after just a few weeks of dating. Jai both had beauty and brains. Add to that a heart of gold and it doesn't really come as a surprise that the people of Rosewood eventually saw them as a match made in heaven. It was a label Emily had no problem living with because they really were. People didn't need to tell her that. She knew in her heart that she and Jai are perfect for each other.

As she returned to her seat beside Emily, Jai placed the steaming mug near her girlfriend's plate, careful not to spill any of it on the table.

Emily smiled, leaning her head on her hand to glance at Jai. "Thanks love." She said as she held the mug by its handle.

"Careful. It's hot." Jai warned as she watched Emily take a small sip before focusing her attention back to her breakfast.

"Thanks but I don't think I can finish another one, Logan." Emily said, gracefully declining the heaping plate of French toast Jai's father offered her.

"Oh come on. This is our Saturday tradition. _Breakfast ala Hayes_." Logan said jovially, setting the plate down beside him to offer Emily a plate of bacon and scrambled eggs instead. He was pleased when the girl accepted the plate of food and took a few pieces of the bacon before setting it down in front of her.

"Dad, leave my girlfriend alone." Jai said, shaking her head in amusement at her father's attempt to make Emily eat more. It was starting to get old. _And the best part was just about to come…_

"You're too skinny." Logan said, studying his daughter's girlfriend closely. "Is everything okay at home?"

_And there it is_. Jai thought, covering her mouth with the back of her hand to keep from laughing out loud. She was about to defend her girlfriend when her sister did it for her instead.

"Dad, you're doing it again." Kayla said, rolling her eyes. "Emily isn't a patient of yours. Stop asking about her nonexistent family problems." She said before taking a bite of her French toast.

Logan raised his hands defensively. "I was just curious. Is Wayne coming home soon?" He asked as he took a sip of his coffee.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. He's coming home by the end of September. My mom could barely wait. Me too of course." She added, smiling excitedly.

"Well when he gets home maybe we could have one of those family dinners. We haven't had those in quite a while." Logan suggested.

"My parents would love that. I'll tell them." Emily promised before starting to eat the rest of her breakfast.

"I just hope Jai is still here when your dad comes home. When do you expect that letter from London?" Logan asked as he shifted his attention to his daughter.

"Next week." Jai answered confidently.

"Well give me a heads up so I can steer clear of the house when you throw a party." Logan said, smiling at his daughter proudly.

"Dad." Jai protested, embarrassed.

"What? I just know you got in." Logan said as he brought his hands together in front of him to rest his chin on it.

"Me too." Emily said, taking Jai's hand and squeezing it lightly. "You're way too good for them to say no to you."

Jai smiled at her girlfriend. "Thanks love."

"King's College." Logan began. "If you get in you will be the youngest research intern admitted into their program. I couldn't be more proud." He continued, looking at Jai fondly. "It wasn't too long ago that we sat at this very table and I told you about that school. And then you had this look and I just knew that it was going to be a part of your dreams."

"Oh my god, dad, now is not the time to take a trip down memory lane." Kayla exclaimed. "Emily's here." She added in a low whisper that everyone still heard. "Wipe your tears. You're embarrassing us." She said teasingly, making everyone seated around the table laugh.

"I'll get that." Logan volunteered after their laughter died down, standing up when they heard the doorbell ring. "You girls best finish eating your breakfast." He called behind him as he disappeared towards the direction of the front door.

Once she was sure that her dad wasn't in the room anymore, Jai faced Emily and scooted to her girlfriend closer, giving her a quick kiss. "Good morning." She said before kissing the girl again. "I wasn't able to greet you properly this morning. What with my dad interrupting us and everything."

Emily grinned. "Better late than never." She said quietly, leaning forward to kiss Jai again.

"Oh, you two please not in front of breakfast." Kayla protested the second she looked up from the paper she was reading and saw the two girls kissing, making good use of the time they had the room to themselves before Logan came back.

"Go back to reading that paper Kayla." Jai said, not taking her eyes off Emily. She was about to lean in to kiss her girlfriend again when a familiar voice from the dining room entrance stopped her.

"Well, well. What do we have here? Aside from a _way_ too early make out session." A brown-haired girl of about Emily's height and Jai's build dressed in running attire asked as she casually sauntered inside the room, taking off her earphones as she did so. She looked at the three people inside the room and the food on the table and grinned. "I guess I made it just in time. Like always."

Emily rolled her eyes in annoyance. True. She looked forward to Saturday mornings. That is, until Jai's best friend since middle school comes crashing through the front door and disturbs their perfectly good morning. For as long as she could remember, Paige McCullers has always invited herself to these breakfasts, interrupting their peaceful meal. And today was no exception.

"Paige!" Kayla exclaimed, instantly folding the paper she was reading and smiling at the girl. "I was wondering when you were gonna show up."

Paige gave Kayla a grin before returning her attention to the two girls. "You do realize that you two aren't alone in the room, right? She's way too young to see you two in action." She said, pointedly directing her statement to her best friend.

"_Please_. I've seen lots of couples make out on TV. Boys _and_ girls. And not necessarily with each other." Kayla added, seemingly proud of herself.

Paige's jaw dropped as she pretended to be appalled. "Kids these days. You need to put parental lock on your channels." She reminded Jai.

"Hey, I'm sixteen!" Kayla protested, pouting at Paige.

Paige scratched her head in confusion. "Really? I could've sworn you were twelve." She said teasingly. "I was just here last week."

"You suck!" Kayla complained.

Paige laughed before finally deciding to acknowledge the third person in the room. "I didn't realize you have an uninvited guest." She said, staring at Emily.

"Well you should've thought of that before walking in here." Emily retorted, steeling herself for another round of bickering with Jai's best friend.

Emily never really understood what Jai saw in the girl. Why they ended up becoming best friends. They were as different as night and day. Unlike Jai who seemed comfortable being around people and exuded confidence without coming off as arrogant, Paige struck her as someone who's aloof and indifferent. It made her feel as if Paige thought she was better than the rest of them and because of that, she never really felt comfortable around the girl. She always thought Paige was arrogant.

And that really shouldn't bother her. Paige can be arrogant if she wanted to. That is, if she had something to be arrogant about. But in the three years that she has known the girl, it was obvious that Paige doesn't even compare to Jai. And her girlfriend had the decency to be modest despite being close to perfect. Because while Jai is the type of girl who had everything figured out and knew what she wanted out of life, Paige seemed to be struggling. Like the girl was all over the place. Paige did things on a whim, barely considering the consequences of her actions, unlike Jai who always had a plan and had a cool head on her shoulders. Plus she never really understood why the girl hated her ever since Jai introduced them to each other. She tried to be nice but to this day Paige still treated her horribly. Finally, she gave up trying to be friends with the girl and instead got into a bickering and mocking contest with Jai's best friend whenever they were in the same room. She wasn't going to let Paige intimidate her. Emily knew it bothered Jai but her girlfriend knows that she isn't the problem. Paige is.

"Guys, it's early." Jai pleaded. "Paige will you please just grab a plate?"

Paige shrugged and headed to the counter to grab a clean plate before sitting down opposite of Emily and beside Kayla.

"Where's my dad?" Jai asked as she glanced behind her towards the dining room entrance.

"He was signing for a package when I arrived. He just told me to go in. The door was open so I did." Paige explained as she poured herself a glass of juice.

"Like a stray cat." Emily stated, staring as Paige helped herself to a French toast and transferred some eggs and several pieces of bacon to her plate.

"_Meow_." Paige purred sarcastically before she began to eat. She suddenly waved a hand when she saw Jai's father enter behind her best friend and Emily. "Hey Logan! I hope you didn't mind. I'm famished from all that running I just did."

"Of course. Help yourself." Logan said as he resumed his position at the table. "These girls said they're full so there's plenty of food left for you." He said reassuringly. "I'm just glad one of you still eats like a normal person."

Paige grinned gratefully and continued to eat her breakfast while Jai and Kayla rolled their eyes in exasperation.

"So what was the package you had delivered?" Kayla asked curiously.

"It was the new therapy chair I ordered. It was supposed to be delivered to the hospital but my new assistant wrote down this address by mistake." Logan answered. "I'm gonna have to talk to her later."

As Kayla continued to talk with her father, Emily moved to take the last piece of bacon on the plate in front of her but before she could, Paige took it and waved it at her mockingly.

Emily glared at the girl, knowing Paige did it just to get a rise out of her when she noticed that the girl still had a piece of bacon on her plate. Jai saw the exchange and shook her head at her best friend disapprovingly before transferring the last bacon on her plate to Emily's. Emily smiled at Jai and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before looking at Paige, challenging her.

"I think I just vomited in my mouth." Paige said under her breath, just loud enough for Emily to hear.

Emily scrunched up her face in disgust. "You're repulsive you know that?" She asked the girl rhetorically.

Paige's attempt to respond was interrupted by Logan. "I'm headed out." He said as he stood up. "I need to get to the hospital early to set up that chair and traffic is horrible going to the city. Hopefully I'll get to see you four again next Saturday." Logan said before finishing his coffee and checking his phone to see if there are any messages from the hospital. "And I hope next time Paige and Emily will actually behave." He said as he looked up to smile at the girls.

"Don't hold your breath." Kayla said as she looked at the two girls who were still glaring at each other.

Logan smiled as he walked over to his daughters and kissed them on the head goodbye. As soon as Logan was out of the door, Paige stood up as well.

"Wait, where are you going?!" Jai asked in surprise when she saw Paige drink her glass of orange juice in one gulp. "Are you seriously doing a dine and dash on me? Dude!"

Paige looked at her best friend apologetically. "I need to get home before my dad leaves. I swear I'll make it up to you. Sorry!" She said in a rush, waving goodbye before bolting out of the house.

"She really _is_ a stray cat." Emily said as she stood up to help Jai clear the dishes.

* * *

It was a cold Wednesday afternoon in August when the doorbell rang and Emily immediately bounded the steps two at a time from her room to the living room, excited to get to the door. "I got it mom!" She called out as she passed by a mirror and checked her reflection before opening the door to her girlfriend. "Hey." Emily said, smiling at the gorgeous girl standing on her front doorstep.

"Hey yourself." Jai said in greeting, running a hand through her hair before taking a step forward and giving her girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek. "Good afternoon Pam." She said, smiling warmly when she looked past her girlfriend and saw Emily's mom appear by the kitchen entrance.

"Jasmine." Pam said in greeting, smiling at her daughter's girlfriend affectionately. "Don't just stand there. It's cold out. Come in! Can I get you anything?" She asked as Jai stepped inside the house.

"No thank you. I don't think I can hold anything down in my nervousness." Jai admitted as she placed a hand over her stomach.

Pam's smile immediately changed to one of knowing. "I take it the mail came today." She said, the hint of excitement in her voice unmistakable.

Jai nodded before shifting her attention back to Emily. "I got it." She revealed before producing the letter and waving it in front of her girlfriend.

"What did it say?" Emily asked eagerly.

"I was kinda hoping we'd open it together." Jai said, grinning at her girlfriend's enthusiasm.

"I'll be in the kitchen if either of you girls needs anything." Pam said before excusing herself to go back to what she was doing.

"Want to open it in your room?" Jai asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

Emily nodded before letting Jai lead the way upstairs. Once they reached the privacy of her room, Emily closed the door behind them and joined Jai on the edge of her bed.

"Ready?" Jai asked nervously.

Emily nodded, her eyes never leaving the envelope in Jai's hand.

"On the count of three then." Jai said as she began to open the envelope. "One, two..."

"Three." A voice from Emily's bedroom window made the two look up in surprise then annoyance.

"Why is she here?!" Emily asked as she glared at the uninvited girl who was already halfway inside her room. "And there's this thing called a _door_. It's rectangular in shape, made of wood and you knock on its surface, wait for the people on the other side of it to let you in before you open it. That way you would know you're wanted." She explained, exasperated at Paige's intrusion. "I mean, you _do_ know how to knock, right? Because if you don't I can teach you." Emily offered sarcastically.

"You are _hilarious_." Paige shot back sarcastically as she struggled to balance herself. "You should seriously consider a career in stand-up comedy in case your dream of becoming an advertising exec doesn't pan out. Same difference. One-liners instead of catchy slogans."

"Yeah I forgot to tell you she drove me here." Jai revealed sheepishly, hoping this wouldn't start another round of bickering.

"What?" Paige asked, looking at Emily and Jai before looking at Emily's face again. "Aww don't tell me you're not glad to see me." She said, pretending to be offended as her feet finally landed on the floor of Emily's room. "I didn't want to bother your mom so I took a shortcut." Paige explained before staring at Jai. "_You_ my friend left me outside. I'm not your driver you know."

"Yeah sorry about that." Jai said, smiling faintly. "I was just excited to see Emily."

Paige shrugged. "It's fine. So what did I miss?" She asked as she stood in front of the two girls, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she looked at them expectantly.

"I was just about to open the letter when you barged in." Jai explained.

"Well get on with it." Paige said encouragingly.

"Please go away." Emily said. "This moment is kinda between us." She said, glancing at Jai for support.

"Paige?" Jai said apologetically.

Paige stared at her best friend in disbelief. "Oh my g… Jai you are so _whipped_ it's not even funny. I don't get what the big deal is." She said, refusing to leave.

"This moment is part of our future. _Our_ future. It doesn't involve you." Emily explained, still annoyed.

Paige rolled her eyes, seemingly used to these conversations. "Please. Don't say it again. I've committed it to memory I feel as if it's becoming _my_ plan. Let's see if I remember this correctly." She said before clearing her throat. "Get an apartment outside of campus and move in together, Jai gets a car, she drives Sniffles..."

"Hey!" Emily exclaimed, indignant.

Paige refused to correct herself. "_Sniffles_ to her classes, eat home cooked meals and stay in or spend a night out of town, fancy dinners and what not. It's all very..." She trailed off, pretending to look for the right word.

"Romantic?" Emily supplied.

"No. The word I was actually looking for is _domesticated_." Paige corrected.

"I don't expect you to understand Paige. I don't know what's pumping blood in your veins. I don't even know if you have blood." Emily retorted.

"Ooh… careful Sniffles. You're getting soft with the comebacks. It doesn't even sting this time." Paige fired back.

"I have other things on my mind right now. Like _our_ future." Emily repeated as she took Jai's hand in hers.

"Then by all means, please continue your letter opening ceremony." Paige said, gesturing her hand towards the letter Jai still held in her hand.

"Get out of here Paige." Emily ordered.

"Paige." Jai pleaded, knowing how important the moment was for her and Emily.

Paige shook her head. "No way! I'm not staying downstairs after I risked climbing a tree to get in here. I don't know how to talk to Sniffles' mom." She explained.

"How about not calling her _Sniffles' mom_? That's a good place to start." Jai said. "Or maybe you could stay outside. In your car. Turn on the heater. I'll be down in a few." She promised.

Paige looked at them for a second longer before giving up. "Whatever." She said, turning her back to leave, this time using the door. She would have to explain to Pam Fields how she got inside if the woman saw her.

"Thanks." Jai called after her best friend. "Where were we?" She asked Emily as she focused her attention to her girlfriend once again.

"You were about to open that letter." Emily said, smiling softly.

Jai smiled and handed it to her girlfriend. "Open it." She said.

Emily took the letter. "Are you sure?" She asked.

Jai nodded. "I'm sure. I want you to be the first to know." She said, slightly nervous.

"Okay." Emily said as she tore open the envelope and took the letter out. She quickly scanned the contents before breaking into a grin. "You got in." She said, looking at her girlfriend. "Oh my god Jai you got in!"

"I did?" Jai asked in disbelief.

Emily gave her girlfriend a quick kiss. "I knew you'd get in." She whispered softly. "Congratulations, love."

"I need to call UPenn. Tell them I'm deferring for a year." Jai said, her mind starting to plan the next step. "Then I need to call King's College in London to tell them to expect me the first week of September." Jai looked at her girlfriend. "I really got in?" She asked incredulously.

Emily nodded. "You did. Just like you planned. It's all falling into place." She said as she stared past Jai to look at the vision board they made together their freshmen year.

Jai stood up and walked towards it, studying the 20x30 illustration board they hung up on Emily's wall which held their dreams before grabbing a marker from Emily's study table and putting a huge check on the picture of King's College.

"That's one vision down and lots more to go." Jai said, looking at her girlfriend. "I'm sorry I can't be here the rest of your senior year." She said apologetically.

Emily shook her head. "I don't mind. I guess that's just one of the disadvantages of dating a bright not to mention gorgeous girl. You graduated ahead the rest of us. You've been preparing for this moment since we were freshmen. Now that it's finally come true don't be sorry. You're reaching your dreams." She said proudly.

"I know. I just wish I didn't have to leave so early. I wanted to see you get accustomed to being a senior. And I wanted to celebrate your birthday with you." Jai said ruefully.

"Jai it's fine. It's just one birthday. When you get back we get to celebrate my birthdays for years to come." Emily said reassuringly. "But the rest of my year as a senior though. I wanted you to see me."

"I know. I could just imagine the freshmen dropping their jaws and their eyes bulging every time you enter those doors. You are _so_ gonna rule high school." Jai said, grabbing Emily by the waist swiftly.

"You think so?" Emily asked, pretending to be concerned before smiling as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's neck.

"I _know_ so." Jai said, moving close to kiss Emily. "You are gonna be so hot. Being a senior and all."

"You're not worried though are you?" Emily asked teasingly. "With all the attention I'll be getting?"

"Should I be?" Jai asked, pretending to be worried.

Emily shook her head as her eyes traveled to Jai's lips. "I love you Jasmine Hayes. Now until forever." She said softly.

"I love you too Emily Fields. Now until forever." Jai uttered before Emily pulled her close for a kiss.

* * *

Paige drummed her fingers impatiently on the steering wheel of her dad's car, checking the time on the clock mounted on the dashboard for the third time. She shouldn't have agreed to drive Jai to her girlfriend's house knowing she wasn't welcome there. But because she owed Jai for the dine and dash move she did at breakfast last week, she didn't have a choice. She didn't want to leave the warmth of the Fields' house but she and Pam really didn't have anything to talk about so she decided to sit here than endure sitting in the living room in silence. She sat up straight when she finally saw her best friend emerge from inside the house, jogging the rest of the way as she hurriedly headed towards the parked car.

"Wow. Setting a new record." Paige said once Jai shut the door. "It actually took you thirty minutes before you decided to join me." She said, pretending to be impressed.

"Sorry." Jai said as she fastened her seatbelt.

"So?" Paige asked impatiently. "Are you going to tell me what the letter said or am I gonna have to guess? Because I'm pretty sure you got in." She said as she fastened her own seatbelt and locked the doors.

"I got in." Jai confirmed.

Paige shook her head. "Why am I not surprised? Watch out world. The King's College today, Nobel Peace Prize tomorrow. Slow down Jazz. You're making the rest of us look bad." She said jokingly.

Jai smiled faintly. "I gotta do this." She explained.

"So you're really doing this internship thing in London." Paige said, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that her best friend is leaving. When Jai nodded determinedly, she continued. "You all set there? I mean, where you'll be staying and everything?"

"Yeah. I got it all figured out." Jai said reassuringly. "Like I said, I gotta do this."

"For you and Sniffles' future. Yeah, yeah." Paige said, starting the car.

"Will you please start calling my girlfriend by her name? It's been more than two years, Paige." Jai said, starting to get annoyed again.

"Why should I? Are you guys together for good? If you two break up at least I can proudly say I didn't waste my time trying to get to know her." Paige explained as she drove towards Jai's house.

"We're together for good." Jai said seriously. "I'm gonna marry her after college Paige."

"So why are you going away for almost a year?" Paige asked, confused.

"Our relationship can survive it." Jai said firmly.

"I'm not saying it can't. Or won't. You've been planning to go to London ever since your dad told us it was the best place to get a research internship in Psychiatry. That was in _middle school_. When we were still attending Girard. Before we transferred to Rosewood High. Before you and Sniffles got together. Don't you think you should've factored in her opinion before you decided to apply there after you graduated last summer?" Paige asked.

"It wasn't up for discussion. It's always been a part of my plan. Three years in high school. Graduate ahead of the class, internship in London before UPenn for college. Emily knows that. It's not like I kept it a secret. When we got together she knew that and we somehow managed to find a way around it to make room for our relationship." Jai explained. "Just because I met someone doesn't mean I'm going to deviate from my plans. She knows how important those plans are to me. Just like I know how important her plans are to her."

"I don't know. To me it should have been the other way around. You work your plans around the girl. Not factor in the girl to your plans. The girl _always_ comes first." Paige argued.

"Are you _actually_ speaking in behalf of my girlfriend?!" Jai asked, surprised.

Paige scoffed. "_No_. I was talking in general. If it were me, I would've made new plans when I meet the girl I wanted to marry. They're just plans. They're not supposed to be set in stone. You have to learn to adapt when things don't go your way. Or if something better comes along."

"Well obviously you haven't been in a real relationship to actually be an expert on the subject matter." Jai said. "Emily and I have a common goal. Where we envision ourselves ten years from now. How we get there and who we are when we get there depends on what we accomplish today. She has her dreams and I encourage her to reach for those. She knows she has my full support. In return she does the same for me. Because ten years from now the people we're going to be, how we became those people, is because we learned to support each other this early on."

"What you two are doing isn't entirely supporting each other. It's called making your own dreams come true and expecting the other one to just go along with it. You applying for that internship and her not saying anything about it is not being supportive Jai. It's being scared to ask you not to go so far away and consider taking an internship somewhere near. I mean, did you even consider that? Taking an internship within the country now that you have a serious girlfriend?" Paige asked. "Someone you insist you're going to marry down the road?"

"The one in London is the best. Just like the Psychiatry program in UPenn is the best in the country. It would look good in my CV and Emily knows that, that's why she didn't ask me to find an internship somewhere closer." Jai explained. "Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in your relationship to make your dreams a reality."

"Sacrificing your relationship to reach those dreams isn't worth it." Paige argued.

"What's this really about?" Jai asked, staring at her best friend. "Why are you suddenly so against me leaving?"

"I'm not." Paige said, glancing at her friend briefly. "I swear Jazz I'm not. I'm just making sure this is what you want."

"It's what I need." Jai corrected. "Of course I don't want to be away from Emily for so long. But I gotta do this. You and I both know that."

"Not really." Paige said. "Come on. Find an internship somewhere closer. That way we can hang out after school." She said, trying to change her friend's mind.

"It's too good an opportunity to miss." Jai hedged.

"What are you talking about? It's just part of a future you planned. There are other ways to reach your dream." Paige argued.

"Maybe so but this path is the best." Jai argued back.

"Well what if somewhere along the way one of you realizes to become the person you wanted to be years from now you have to give up the girl, what are you two going to do?" Paige asked, glancing at her friend briefly. "Who's going to give up her dreams for the other? Are you telling me you're still both not willing to change your plans?"

"Are you telling me you're going to give up your plans for the girl?" Jai threw the question back at her friend. "Are you _actually_ going to sacrifice the entire future you've planned for the girl?"

"Yeah. Because when I find her my future lies with her." Paige answered quickly. "I have no qualms about giving up my plans for her."

"It's not all or nothing Paige." Jai said wryly. "You can't lose who you are when you enter a relationship. You have to learn to keep a little of yourself. Support her dreams but pursue yours as well."

"To me it is." Paige said quietly. "All or nothing. I know who I am. I would gladly give up my plans and make new plans if it meant I get to keep the girl."

"You're such a hopeless romantic." Jai said, shaking her head.

"Then answer me this. Answer me this and I will _never_ ever bring it up again." Paige promised. "What if somewhere along the way you realized that the person you envisioned yourself to be years from now isn't the same person you thought you wanted to be? You have built these versions of yourselves with no room for change. What if life throws you for a loop and you realize it's not the future you wanted for yourself? Are you telling me you won't be willing to change your plans if it meant still being with the girl in the end?"

"I don't get it." Jai admitted.

Paige rolled her eyes. "You want to be a world-renowned Psychiatrist. Sniffles wants to have her own advertising company. If one day one of you realizes you don't want to be those people anymore, you think your relationship will be able to survive that? You made all these plans. Ten years from now you're this and she's that. If one of you fails to reach her dreams at that point in your lives, will you still be with the girl or will one of you feel as if they fell short to what the other expected of them?" Paige explained. "You wanted to be with the girl who is supposed to be this big shot advertising executive. If she doesn't live up to that, will you still be with her or will you find someone else? Someone that's supposed to be good enough for the version of you, you saw today?"

"Of course I'd still be with Emily. Whatever she decides to become I still choose to be with her." Jai answered. "I love her Paige. Not who she does or doesn't become."

Paige smiled faintly. "Okay. Consider this conversation dropped."

"Thank you." Jai said. "And for future references, stay out of my relationship _Miss-Can't-Commit_."

"_Not allowed to commit_. There's a big difference." Paige corrected. "You think I like being detached and aloof? Making girls feel I have commitment issues?"

Jai gave her best friend an apologetic smile. "Of course not. Sorry." A moment of silence passed between them before she spoke up again. "What about you? Still plan on going to USC?"

Paige nodded. "It's my dream school and I love California's weather." She said, smiling.

"Your dad still on board with that plan of yours?" Jai asked, concerned.

"Yeah. I've been doing better so he has no reason to worry." Paige explained.

"I was thinking. Maybe you could write about your struggle in your personal essay. Impress the Dean of the College or something." Jai suggested.

"I don't know." Paige began, biting her lip nervously. "It's not really something I want people to know."

"It could help with your college application. Trust me, colleges and universities like reading about triumphs over adversities." Jai explained.

"I'll think about it." Paige said, knowing her friend won't let the matter rest until she said yes.

"I can help if you want." Jai offered. "E-mail me a draft or something and I can help you from London."

Paige shook her head. "Jasmine we're not kids anymore. I don't need help with my homework. If I get in, good for me. If not, there are other colleges out there." She said, shrugging.

"I know. I just want to make sure that you get into your dream school." Jai said absentmindedly as she stared outside the window.

"Will you please stop worrying about me?" Paige pleaded, laughing lightly.

"I can't help it. You're my best friend." Jai said, looking at Paige.

"Fine. I'll send you a draft." Paige finally said, knowing how worried her friend is. "But please concentrate on your internship when you get to London. Stop focusing on what's going on here while you're there."

"I'll try." Jai said, smiling faintly after a lull in their conversation. "Hey Paige? I won't even pretend I know how it feels. Having to distance yourself emotionally. I just wish I could do something now to help you."

Paige shrugged. "It's fine. I'm kinda getting used to it actually. And I'm not in a hurry to fall in love because when I meet that someone, whatever my dad tells me I will commit." She said firmly.

"What do you mean?" Jai asked cautiously.

"I mean when I meet that girl I will commit. Whatever my dad asks me to do I won't do it. Even if it meant breaking the promise I made to him. Because I know that girl will stick around." Paige said simply.

"Paige…" Jai began.

"Congratulations by the way." Paige said, abruptly changing the subject as she glanced at her friend.

Jai smiled tightly. "Thanks." She said, looking out the window, her mind lingering on the words her best friend just said.

* * *

Emily stared at the vision board and studied the checks on the cutouts she and Jai compiled a few months into their relationship. She smiled, remembering one of the reasons why she loves Jai so much. The girl has everything planned out. _She's moving so fast_. _Accomplishing things left and right_. _Taking steps closer to her dreams_. She looked at the cutouts that didn't have check marks yet and realized most of it was hers. _I have to start making some of these come true_. Emily thought determinedly. _This year I will accomplish as many as I can._ Jai's ambitious nature and drive fueled hers. It inspired her to strive harder and she couldn't imagine anyone else making her feel that way. _It's just a year away from each other_. _Probably less_. She thought, reassuring herself that things will all work out in the end. _She needs your support_. _You can't falter now by asking her to stay_. _She's doing this for us_. With that thought in mind, she focused on the image of a happy, old couple sitting on the porch swing of a house with white picket fences. _That's going to be us years from now_. Emily said to herself, the thought bringing a huge smile to her lips. _I can't wait_.

* * *

Paige hurriedly navigated the hallways of Rosewood High, running fast while dodging the students loitered around the corridors. The first day of their senior year is officially over and she couldn't wait to get to the lounge to meet her best friend.

"Move! Coming through! Excuse me! Sorry!" Paige said to no one in particular as she bumped into every student she came into contact with. It was imperative that she get there first. She felt a surge of excitement when she saw the lounge was finally within sight. _Ha! Not today Sniffles! Today I get there first! Today..._

"What took you so long?" Paige stopped in her tracks when she heard the smugness in Emily's voice, slowing down to a walk when she realized the girl and Jai were already seated on one of the couches.

"Where did you come from?!" Paige asked incredulously as she stared at Emily's smug face. _Foiled again_.

Emily shrugged nonchalantly. "Took a shortcut." She answered.

"Through what a _wormhole_?!" Paige exclaimed in disbelief. "Last time I checked I run faster than you." She said as she plopped down unceremoniously on the couch opposite the one Emily and Jai occupied.

"Yeah but I text faster than you can run." Emily said haughtily.

Paige furrowed her brows in puzzlement. "What?" She asked, confused. "How is that even relevant?"

"Why race to get to Jai if I can get Jai to come to me?" Emily explained.

Paige opened her mouth, aghast. "That is just wrong on so many levels. You cheated! She cheated!" Paige argued, pointing at Emily accusingly as she stared at her best friend.

Jai creased her brows, pretending to be offended. "I'm more concerned with the fact that I feel used. Is it right to feel used?" She asked, looking at Paige and then at her girlfriend.

"Aww love I didn't mean it to sound like that. You know I wanted to see you." Emily said, placing her arm around Jai's shoulder before giving her girlfriend a quick kiss on the lips.

"Oh barf." Paige said, rolling her eyes in disgust at the couple's PDA.

"Jealous much?" Emily asked sarcastically.

"Please. There should be new rules about this sort of thing. You have an unfair advantage 'coz you're dating my best friend. You can't use your relationship to move the base." Paige argued.

"I can do whatever I want. Jai isn't a post. She can move whenever she wants." Emily argued back.

"Then what's the point of having a race?!" Paige challenged.

Jai cradled her head on her hands. "Oh god here we go again." She mumbled as the two girls began to bicker.

"Jai tell her I'm right. You race to get to the finish line. Not get the finish line to come to you!" Paige said, not taking her eyes off Emily.

"Oh come on you two. Not again." Jai said pleadingly.

"Jai isn't the finish line. This couch is the finish line! I just asked her to meet me so we can get here at the same time. How is that cheating?!" Emily said defensively.

Paige scoffed. "You think I race here to get to this couch? If Jai isn't here I wouldn't go here in the first place. Just admit Jai's the base." She coaxed.

"No she's not." Emily said stubbornly.

"Yes she is!" Paige snapped.

From across the room, Hanna Marin, Spencer Hastings and Aria Montgomery watched as their friend and Paige McCullers continued to fight, seemingly oblivious to the distressed girl who sat near them.

"Do we dare to head over there?" Aria asked uncertainly.

"I don't know. I personally don't want to venture into a war zone but Jai seems to need backup again." Hanna said as she observed Emily's girlfriend look back and forth between the two girls.

Spencer shook her head. "Unbelievable. It's like this is the highlight of their day." She stated.

"And Jai's worst nightmare come to life. Come on. Let's run interference." Hanna said, leading the way towards the three girls. "Hey guys." She greeted cautiously.

"Oh please save me." Jai begged, looking up in relief at the three girls who joined them.

"That bad, huh?" Aria said sympathetically as they sat on the remaining unoccupied couches.

Paige ignored Emily's friends and focused on her best friend once again. "Okay. How would you feel if I texted you and asked that you meet me after swim practice, _love_?" She asked, looking at Jai expectantly.

Jai cringed. "First of all, never call me that again. You're giving me goosebumps. To answer your question though, I would probably go running in the opposite direction." She admitted.

Paige smirked. "See? Unfair right there. You _never_ take my side." She said, exasperated.

Emily grinned. "I guess I win this round. _Again_." She emphasized, looking at Paige pointedly.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Whatever. _Sniffles_."

"Take that back!" Emily exclaimed.

"_Sniffles_. _Sniffles_. _Sniffles_." Paige said the word slowly, enjoying getting a rise out of Emily.

"Jai make her stop." Emily said, looking at Jai pleadingly.

"Jai make her stop." Paige repeated, mimicking Emily.

"Paige." Jai said warningly.

"_Whipped_." Paige said, rolling her eyes at her best friend.

Jai sighed in relief, grateful that their bickering finally stopped. "Thank you. Why did you two want to get to me so fast anyway?" She asked, cursing inwardly the instant those words left her lips knowing she just dug her own grave. _Why do I keep doing this to myself?!_

Just like that Paige and Emily started to bicker once again. Jai mouthed a silent apology to Emily's friends when she caught their looks of disbelief.

"Your girlfriend is slacking off in swimming. We almost lost today." Paige said, not wasting time complaining about Emily.

"_Almost_! I still finished first!" Emily said defensively.

Paige scoffed. "Barely. No more late nights for you kids. Tuck her to bed early, Jai. And then leave. Don't tuck yourself in with her." She added.

"What's the big deal?! It's not an actual competition. Cut me some slack Paige. The school year just started. It's just practice." Emily reminded the indignant girl.

"Yeah. And you sucked at it. My grandma can swim faster than you." Paige said, refusing to let Emily off the hook.

"And you suck being a team captain. That's no way to talk to a member of your team." Emily chided.

"Oh I'm reserving this attitude just for you. You're just so special that way." Paige said sarcastically.

Jai looked around to see the other students staring at them, wondering what the commotion was all about. She sighed. "Move along. Nothing to see here. Just. My girlfriend and best friend fighting over swimming." She said before looking at Emily's friends. "Is it wrong for me to badly want them to fight about me rather than swimming? They do this all the time." Jai complained.

Hanna smiled consolingly. "Makes you wonder why you still haven't gotten used to it."

Jai shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'm still holding out hope that they'll get along someday." She admitted.

"_Never_." Paige and Emily said empathically at the same time.

"Oh come on. I'm leaving for London this weekend. I need you two to behave while I'm gone." Jai pleaded.

"You got in?" Spencer asked, impressed. Jai is easily the smartest girl in their class. Not to mention the most driven and gifted. If the girl graduating ahead of them isn't proof enough, Emily's girlfriend managed to get a research internship at King's College in London in preparation for her dream of becoming a Psychiatrist.

Jai nodded, grinning. "I got in." She said. "You haven't told them yet?" Jai asked Emily.

Emily shook her head. "I wanted you to tell them." She explained.

"Oh my god congratulations!" Hanna exclaimed.

Aria smiled. "Yeah Jai. That's really great news." She said, happy for the couple.

"So you're deferring your admission to UPenn then?" Spencer asked. When Jai nodded, she added. "How long will you be gone?"

"Rest of the school year. But I'll be back in time for prom." Jai promised, looking at Emily reassuringly. "I wouldn't miss that for the world."

"Then we need to throw a congratulations and going away party." Hanna declared.

"I was just thinking that. My house. Friday night." Jai said gamely. "Spread the word."

"Oh trust me, I will." Hanna promised.

"Kayla gonna be there?" Paige asked her best friend casually.

"Off limits, Paige." Jai reminded her friend.

Paige raised her hands defensively. "What? I'm just asking if your little sister's coming home from Girard. Between Sniffles' friends and you and Sniffles disappearing on me, I kinda need someone to keep me company." She explained.

"Emphasis on the _little_, Paige. Yeah she's coming home. But no funny business." Jai warned.

Paige nodded. "I swear I will not try to cop a feel on that sister of yours. She's not my type." She said reassuringly.

Emily scoffed. "That's funny. I didn't think you needed to have a type to hook up with a girl. I just figured the first girl who so much as winks at you is enough to land her on your bed." She mocked.

Paige shook her head in disbelief. "Where do you hear these sort of things about me?! I am _not_ that girl." She argued.

"Really?" Emily asked, obviously not convinced.

"Yeah. And I am not gonna waste my time sitting here defending myself to you." Paige snapped impatiently. She checked the time on her watch and stood up. "I'm outta here." She said, looking at Jai meaningfully.

Jai nodded. "Keep safe." She said in farewell.

"I will." Paige said as she slung her duffel bag on one shoulder and gave her best friend a wave before heading out of the school lounge.

"She's always in a hurry to leave after school ever since we were freshmen. Where is she going?" Emily wondered as she followed Paige's retreating back.

"Do you really want to know?" Jai asked warily.

"Why, are you gonna tell me?" Emily said, studying her girlfriend closely.

Jai shook her head. "It's not really my place." She answered truthfully, her eyes drifting towards the direction she last saw her best friend before Paige disappeared seconds ago.

* * *

True to her word, Hanna made sure that everyone (not just those attending Rosewood High but the people living in Rosewood as well) knew of the party at Jai's house. And when Friday night came, the Hayes household was busting at the seams. But not everyone in attendance was in a festive mood. The party was already in full swing downstairs but Jai and Emily can't seem to enjoy the celebration knowing that once the night is over, Jai would be leaving for London tomorrow morning.

"I wish you didn't have to go." Emily finally admitted as she and Jai sat facing each other on the latter's bed. She felt guilty for saying those words out loud but she couldn't help it. She thought she was okay with it but now that her girlfriend is leaving in the morning, she realized they were going to be separated for almost a year and she didn't know if she could take it. Emily started fidgeting with the sheet of the pillow she was hugging, not quite meeting Jai's eyes.

"I know love. Me too." Jai admitted, making Emily look up in surprise. "I really don't want to leave. But I have to." She said, the reluctance evident in her voice. The talk she had with Paige last week made her start to think about her plans and for a moment she even thought about calling the admissions office at King's College to tell them not to expect her. But her time spent with her best friend also made her realize she needed to do it. She just hoped she had Emily's support because she can't stand being away from her girlfriend for so long.

"Yeah but it still sucks that it's my senior year and I don't get to spend it with you. Not to mention you're leaving me behind with your best friend who I swear has had it in for me since day one." Emily said, pointing out the obvious.

"I'll tell Paige to behave herself if it helps." Jai offered.

"I doubt she'll listen to you." Emily said wryly.

"It doesn't hurt to try." Jai said, reaching out to remove the pillow Emily was using to put a distance between them and taking her girlfriend's hands in hers.

"Jai. Can you just not go? I don't want to be away from you." Emily said quietly as she stared at their hands, feeling a tinge of sadness at the thought that she won't be this close to Jai for months.

"Em, nothing is going to change between us. We'll talk to each other on the phone all the time. Or at least every day. And you have your friends. They'll keep you company." Jai said softly, trying to put on a brave face for the both of them. She had to be strong. One of them has to.

"It's not exactly the same." Emily pointed out.

"Em it's just a few months. I'll be back before you know it. Maybe way before prom." Jai said, trying to shed some light into the otherwise sad mood between them.

"Promise?" Emily asked hopefully.

Jai nodded. "Promise." She said, her mind already trying to figure out a way to finish her internship earlier so she could get back to Emily sooner.

Emily finally smiled before removing her hand from Jai's to get something from the back pocket of her jeans. "I got you something." She began as she produced a small black pouch. "It's my grandmother's St. Christopher necklace."

"Patron saint of travelers." Jai supplied.

Emily nodded. "It's supposed to keep you out of harm's way. I want you to have it." She said, handing the pouch to her girlfriend.

Jai stared at the object Emily was handing to her and shook her head. "Em I can't. Not when I know how close you were to your grandmother." She said, looking at her girlfriend reluctantly.

"Then give it back to me when you return. Please? It'll help me sleep at night. Knowing you're safe." Emily said, pushing the pouch further towards Jai.

Jai finally took the pouch knowing how much it meant to Emily. "Okay. I promise to give it back to you." She said, placing the pouch inside the drawer of her bedside table before facing Emily once again. "Now come on. Let's join the party downstairs." She said, extending a hand for Emily to take.

"Why? We can have our own private party right here." Emily said suggestively as she took Jai's hand and used it to pull the girl closer to her.

Jai smiled. "Why Miss Fields are you trying to seduce me?" She asked, matching her girlfriend's mischievous look.

"Depends. Is it working?" Emily asked, moving to position herself in the middle of Jai's bed.

"Definitely." Jai answered before she gently pushed Emily backwards and eagerly met her girlfriend's lips with hers.

* * *

Paige looked around her, slightly overwhelmed by the huge turnout of people celebrating her best friend's acceptance into King's College. Either that or they're celebrating her departure tomorrow and she doubted these people were rejoicing that Jai is going away for a few months. She didn't want to admit it but her best friend practically walked on water around Rosewood. If she didn't know better it seemed like the residents of Rosewood are thisclose to declaring a national holiday for the day Jasmine Hayes was born. And she had no problem with that. But when she becomes the stand-in host while her best friend was off somewhere else playing tonsil hockey and god knows what else with her girlfriend, she can't help but wish Jai wasn't so popular.

A slight movement from the corner of her eye had Paige making a beeline for the wooden arched door leading to the wine cellar which held the most expensive wines Logan Hayes kept. A guy and a girl were trying to sneak in and she can't let them have drunken sex in there, sure that bottles containing thousands of dollars' worth of wine will be broken before, during and probably after the act and she doesn't exactly have a goose that laid golden eggs to pay for it.

"Uh this area is off limits. Sorry." Paige said as she blocked the door with her body. "Try one of the bedrooms upstairs." She suggested, pointing vaguely behind the couple towards the direction of the stairs. When the couple started to make their way towards it, she prayed they were too wasted to find their way around the sprawling house because Jai will probably strangle her once her best friend finds out what she just did.

Paige was about to go back to the kitchen to start refilling bowls of chips, resigned to the fact that she won't be getting any action tonight when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder from behind.

"Hey stranger." Kayla said in greeting.

Paige felt herself grin before turning around. "Kayla." She said as she enveloped the girl in a warm hug before standing back to look at the long-legged beauty.

At sixteen, Paige was sure Kayla was about to start breaking hearts. Like her older sister, Michaela Hayes could give those runway models a run for their money. At 5'7", the girl standing in front of Paige has almond-shaped blue-grey eyes, prominent cheekbones, thin red lips and seemingly mile-long legs. Truthfully, Paige found Kayla prettier than her sister but that's probably because Jai was a lot more boyish compared to her younger sister when she moved. And Paige had to admit she preferred girls who moved gracefully.

"You couldn't have come at a better time. The host and her girlfriend are off somewhere and her friends are not exactly mine. I don't even know half of these people and now I've become the host." Paige complained.

Kayla laughed. "Aww, poor Paige. You don't look the part though. You look good. For someone who's stuck on host duties." She observed, letting her gaze wander from head to toe as she took in Paige's outfit for the evening. "I take it you hoped to get some action tonight?" Kayla asked understandingly.

"I did. But duty calls so…" Paige shrugged. "You don't look bad yourself. How are things at Girard?" She asked as they started to make their way towards the kitchen.

"Okay." Kayla managed to say above the loud music.

"Got a girlfriend yet?" Paige asked as she placed a hand on Kayla's shoulder to move closer to the girl so they can talk.

"_No_. The girls in that school are so plain." Kayla complained, rolling her eyes.

"Really? From my experience they weren't." Paige said, chuckling.

"That was a long time ago Paige. Times have changed." Kayla reminded the girl, breathing a huge sigh of relief once they reached the kitchen.

"That they have." Paige agreed as she got two cans of soda from the fridge and handed one to Kayla.

"There's this senior though." Kayla began hesitantly, laughing when Paige's eyebrow rose in curiosity.

"Ah. An upperclassman. I knew you had a thing for older girls." Paige said as she opened her can of soda and took a sip.

"What?! She's just a year older than me. And may I remind you that you and my sister are seniors as well?" Kayla argued as she took a chip and dipped it on some guacamole before taking a bite. "I mean technically Jai should've been a senior. If she didn't graduate ahead of you guys."

Paige waved her hand dismissively. "The point is this girl is still older." She said, studying Kayla closely. "What, she likes you or something?" She asked, feeling she had to act like the older sister since Jai wasn't around.

Kayla shook her head. "No. It's the other way around. I like her. But she doesn't know." She said, blushing.

"Well why don't you tell her? I doubt she'll turn you down. What's her name?" Paige asked, making a mental note to visit Girard one of these days to see the girl Kayla seemed smitten with.

"Not important. I just thought I'd tell you so you'll stop pestering me about my love life whenever you and I talk." Kayla said, wishing Paige would end their discussion about her crush.

"Not gonna happen because now I am intrigued. I'm going to pester you for details this time." Paige declared.

"_Awesome_." Kayla said sarcastically. "Hey before I forgot. I have something for you. This might cheer you up. Or blow your mind. I don't know. You choose." She said before she placed on top of the kitchen counter the small, plain blue paper bag she's been trying to hide the entire time they were talking. "I made a new friend last week. Well technically I purposely befriended her when I learned who she is related to. Because guess who I just found out has a niece attending Girard all this time?" Kayla asked excitedly.

Paige tried to grab the paper bag from Kayla but the girl refused to let it go. "Guess." Kayla insisted.

"I don't know. Stan Lee?" Paige tried, knowing how much Kayla loved those comic book superheroes.

Kayla scoffed. "Seriously? What this paper bag contains is something I got for you. Why in hell would I be excited to give you something from someone related to Stan Lee?" She fired back.

"I don't know. I'm not really in the mood to think about surprises right now." Paige said, looking around to make sure that the party wasn't starting to get out of hand.

Kayla sighed and finally took out what was inside the paper bag. "You're excited to give me the singlet I let you borrow?" Paige asked, staring incredulously at the sleeveless shirt she once wore when she joined a fun run.

"Look closer." Kayla insisted, pushing the piece of clothing towards Paige.

Paige took the shirt and studied every inch of it, wondering why Kayla was so excited to return it to her. "No way!" She exclaimed when she finally saw the reason. "You are seriously the most awesome person in this room right now." Paige declared, her eyes never leaving the shirt.

"Thanks. I think." Kayla said, glad to see that she was able to improve Paige's mood tonight somehow.

"Sarah Haskins signed my shirt." Paige stated, grinning from ear to ear as she continued to stare at the words she has come to know by heart because they were the athlete's own motto. _'Hard work and goal setting will lead you to the outcomes you want. - Sarah'_. "This is really great." She said, finally looking at the girl standing proudly in front of her.

"I know how much you admire those female tri-athletes. You want to be one yourself. You've been talking nonstop about all these famous women and I remembered you mentioned Sarah Haskins once or twice." Kayla explained.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. Most of them are Brits or Aussies though. Sarah Haskins is one of the few from around here that's why I'm hoping I get to meet her someday." She admitted.

"Knew it would cheer you up. You're welcome by the way." Kayla said as she began scanning the crowd. "Now where's my sister? I've got something for her too." She said, looking at Paige expectantly.

Paige shrugged. "Probably up in her room with Sniffles." She said dismissively, returning the shirt inside the paper bag. Kayla noticed that the girl's good mood changed as soon as she was reminded of Jai and Emily.

Kayla sighed. "Paige, when are you going to start calling her Emily?" She asked cautiously.

"Probably never." Paige answered quickly.

"Why are you so stubborn to say her name?" Kayla asked, confused.

"No reason." Paige said, not quite meeting the girl's eyes.

"Just try it. Come on. Say it with me." Kayla coaxed. "Emily. E-mi-ly." She said, enunciating.

"Sniffles." Paige said stubbornly.

"You're hopeless." Kayla said, rolling her eyes before walking past Paige to lead the way upstairs.

* * *

"Jai." Emily whispered when she felt Jai's hands moving near the hem of her top. "Jai." She said again as her girlfriend continued to try to put her hands inside Emily's top. "Stop." Emily said, a hint of panic in her voice. "Jai, stop it." She said, finally grabbing Jai's hands as she tried to calm her breathing.

"Sorry." Emily said when Jai finally seemed to register what almost happened.

Jai released a frustrated breath before she took one look at her girlfriend's terrified face and reached out to touch Emily's arm reassuringly. "It's okay." She said softly. "Em. Hey. It's fine. I heard you." Jai said, rubbing her girlfriend's arm soothingly.

"I'm sorry. I just can't." Emily said, frustrated at herself for still not being able to let Jai get to second base with her when they've been seeing each other for more than two years.

"It's okay." Jai said, kissing Emily's forehead reassuringly. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom for a bit then let's just head downstairs. Okay?"

"Okay." Emily said as she fixed her top and watched as her girlfriend headed for the bathroom.

An urgent knock on the bedroom door made her and Jai look towards it. "We're coming in so please make sure you two are doing strictly PG-13 stuff." Kayla's voice from behind the door made Emily sit up straight.

Quickly running a hand through her hair, Emily tried to fix the bed sheet just as Kayla opened the door, followed close behind by Paige.

"Nothing to see here Kayla." Jai said, trying to make her sister leave.

"Oh thank god! I thought I was going to be scarred for life!" Kayla exclaimed before moving to make room for Paige as they stood by the door.

Emily noticed that Paige was studying the room carefully before looking at the two of them in amusement and she suddenly felt exposed.

"What's going on here?" Paige asked, trying to hide her smile.

Jai chose to ignore her best friend's question and instead looked at her sister. "You couldn't wait downstairs?" She asked, annoyed. She really needed to use the bathroom.

"What? I was excited to see you." Kayla explained. "Hey Em." She said, giving her sister's girlfriend a wave.

"Hey." Emily said in greeting, praying the dim lighting in the room hid the tinge of blush on her cheeks.

"Come on. There's a party downstairs and you two are cooped up here like a boring, old married couple." Kayla said, seemingly oblivious to what just happened moments before she and Paige barged in. "And Jai, this is _your_ party. It's about time you played the part of the host so Paige here can get some action." She said, inclining her head towards the girl who was still intently studying the two girls inside the room.

"We'll be there in a sec." Jai promised.

Paige's lips suddenly broke into a smirk when she heard the frustration in Jai's voice and noticed where her friend was headed, the hastily made up bed and the flustered girl sitting on the edge of it. "Kayla, I'm sure Jai's excited too. So much so that she just needs to use the bathroom, right Jazz?" She asked, winking at her best friend suggestively. "Sorry we interrupted things. Just say the word. We can leave if you want." Paige offered.

Emily felt her cheeks redden in embarrassment and stood up. "You're such a jerk you know that?!" She said to Paige, pushing the girl hard as she walked past her and Kayla.

"Em!" Jai called out, her desire to use the bathroom instantly forgotten at the sight of her upset girlfriend bolting out of the room. "What the hell is the matter with you?! Paige, that was _way_ out of line. You owe her an apology." Jai ordered, incensed as she rushed past her best friend on the way out.

Kayla shook her head in disappointment before following her sister.

Paige looked after them in confusion. "What? What did I say?!" She called out as she hurried after them.

* * *

Emily slammed open the screen door leading to the garden, walking a good distance away from the loud music and the party before turning around. "How you and Kayla can be friends with someone like that is _completely_ beyond me!" She exclaimed.

"She's not that awful." Jai said as she slowly approached Emily, trying to calm her down.

"You're right. Because she's _worse_! I don't know what I ever did to her but ever since you introduced us Paige has always hated me. Why are you taking her side?!" Emily asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest and glaring at Jai accusingly.

"I am _not_ taking her side. I agree she owes you an apology." Jai began. "Paige doesn't hate you. You two just happened to get off on the wrong foot. Trust me. She's really great. Except for that crap she pulled just now. I'm so sorry for that." She said, finally closing the distance between them.

Emily sighed. "Jai. Do you two talk about us?" She asked, embarrassed.

"What do you mean?" Jai asked, puzzled.

"About you know. _Us_. Where we are in that department." Emily explained.

Jai's eyes widened in surprise and she shook her head. "No. Of course not. Em I didn't tell her anything. That's between us." She said adamantly.

"Then how come she knows?" Emily asked, upset.

"She doesn't know anything." Jai said reassuringly.

"Yes she does." Emily argued, refusing to let the matter drop.

"She's just messing with your head. Don't make it easy for her." Jai said, trying to make her girlfriend feel better. When that didn't work, she decided to tell the truth. "Okay. Look. As much as I hate to admit it, Paige is very observant. She probably took one look at my room and at us and she knew what happened. Or didn't. Don't let her get a rise out of you."

"I wish you weren't going." Emily said again, realizing that now more than ever she didn't want Jai to leave.

"Everything's going to be fine." Jai said, hugging Emily tight before kissing the girl's head softly. When they finally pulled away, Jai sighed. _It's now or never_. "Listen. I know this is the _worst_ timing in the world and it's a lot to ask considering what she just pulled back there but... I need you to look after Paige while I'm away." She said, cringing when she saw the look of disbelief in Emily's face.

"What?! Jai I can't stand her!" Emily protested.

"I know. I know it's asking a lot. And I can't tell you why but I really need you to look after her. Please?" Jai begged.

"Why can't Kayla do it?" Emily asked, trying to worm her way out of the favor.

"Because... Kayla goes to Girard. She can only go home during the weekends so Paige is going to be alone most of the time. I don't want her to be alone." Jai explained.

"What about me? Who's going to look after me while you're gone?" Emily asked, starting to feel lonely.

"You have your friends." Jai reminded her girlfriend.

"Doesn't Paige have friends?" Emily inquired despite knowing the answer.

Jai chuckled. "Yeah. You're looking at her."

"Jai." Emily protested.

"Please? I promise to make it up to you when I return." Jai said, begging her girlfriend to say yes as she placed her hands together in front of her as if in prayer.

Emily sighed. "Fine. But just know that I am doing this against my will. And because I love you. _A lot_." She emphasized, finally giving her girlfriend a small smile.

"Thank you. And I love you too. _A lot_." Jai said, kissing Emily quickly before hugging her once again.

* * *

"I come in peace." Paige said as she approached her best friend and handed her a bottle of wine cooler. When her friend ignored it, she sat in front of Jai and placed the bottle on the table between them. "Aww come on, Jai. I'm sorry for what I pulled earlier." She said sincerely.

"Have you apologized to Emily yet?" Jai asked, finally meeting her best friend's eyes.

"No. Can't seem to find her." Paige said, looking around the crowded room.

"She's right there." Jai said, pointing towards the far end of the room where Emily was talking to her friends.

"Where?" Paige asked, looking everywhere but towards the direction Jai was pointing.

Jai sighed, frustrated. "Paige, seriously?"

"I promise I'll apologize later." Paige said, wanting to make amends with her best friend first.

"You better. What you did back there was a jackass move." Jai said, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

"I know I was way out of line. Sorry." Paige began. "Although in my defense I wasn't making fun of her at all. I was making fun of you. You two are just so guilty as hell your defenses shot up the second I threw that comment." She added.

"You find this amusing? Are you even sorry at all?" Jai asked, standing up to leave.

"I am. Come on." Paige pleaded, begging for her friend to stay.

Jai stared at her best friend for a second before sitting down once again. "Just make things right with her. She felt like you were making fun of her back there so just apologize okay?" She asked, frustrated that she can't seem to fix this particular problem.

"Okay." Paige said earnestly.

Jai studied Paige for a moment before asking what was really bothering her. "Paige, we both know you're better than this. So why are you going out of your way to make her hate you?" She asked, puzzled.

"No I'm not." Paige said dismissively.

"Fine. Why are you going out of your way to hate her?" Jai asked, trying to figure out why her friend seemed to hate Emily so much.

"I'm not doing that either." Paige replied.

"Then what are you trying to do? Emily and I have been together for more than two years and it's not going to change anytime soon." Jai said, stating the obvious.

"I know that." Paige said, rolling her eyes.

"Then can you please make an effort to be nice to her? She won't believe me when I tell her you're a great person once she gets to know you." Jai begged.

"I don't need her to like me. Or know me for that matter." Paige argued.

"Well I do. Okay? I need you two to get along. That won't happen if you keep hiding your true self from Emily and if you keep going out of your way to be a jerk to her every chance you get." Jai said, frustrated. "Paige, I'm leaving tomorrow." She said, leaning forward to make Paige listen to her.

"Yeah but you're coming back." Paige reasoned out.

"By the end of the school year. And I don't want to have to keep worrying about you while I'm gone." Jai admitted.

"Then don't. I'm fine." Paige said reassuringly.

"You can't be alone." Jai stated.

"Jai I'll be fine. And I can _so_ be alone. But thanks for your concern and vote of confidence." Paige said sarcastically.

"Kayla won't be able to watch over you." Jai said, worried.

"She doesn't need to. Jai I will be fine on my own." Paige protested.

"You're still taking your meds right?" Jai asked as she lowered her voice.

"Yes mom. It's not like I can just stop taking it. And I'm keeping myself busy with school and sports just like what the doctor recommended." Paige added.

"And you're not losing sleep?" Jai checked.

"Nope. I'm sleeping fine." Paige said, nodding her head. "God, Jai. You're starting to sound like your dad."

"Sorry. I just want to make sure you're doing well before I leave. And don't freak out but I just asked Emily to look after you." Jai finally revealed.

"What?!" Paige exclaimed, indignant.

"Don't worry, I didn't tell her anything." Jai said reassuringly.

"That's not the reason I'm annoyed. I'm not a kid Jai. When I tell you I'm fine I mean it." Paige argued.

"I know. But just in case." Jai explained. "And I need you to look after Emily too." She added.

"She has her friends to look after her. She doesn't need me." Paige said, refusing to spend time with the girl while Jai was away.

"I need you to do this for me. I trust you and she's the most important person in my life." Jai admitted.

"Gee, tell me something I didn't know." Paige retorted. "I thought I was the most important person in your life?" She asked, pretending to be offended.

"You are. Next to her." Jai clarified.

"Thanks for the demotion." Paige said, seemingly hurt.

"I'm serious. I need you to look after her." Jai said urgently.

"You're asking me to be your proxy." Paige stated.

"No. I'm asking you to be her friend." Jai corrected.

"She has friends! Three _annoying_ friends." Paige argued.

"Then her other friend outside of her friends. Please? You still owe me for that crap you pulled earlier." Jai said, desperate to make Paige say yes.

"Wow. Guilt tripping me into taking care of your girlfriend. Smooth." Paige said, leaning back on the chair she occupied.

"Paige." Jai pleaded.

"Fine. I'll look after her. But just know that I am doing this against my will." Paige said, raising a finger warningly.

"Funny you should say that. She said that too." Jai said, starting to smile.

"Would you look at that? We _do_ have something in common!" Paige said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

* * *

"Call me when you get there." Emily said as Jai held her close amidst the crowded airport, closing her eyes as she tried to memorize the feel of her girlfriend's body against hers.

"I promise. And when you get the time we'll do a video chat." Jai whispered, kissing Emily's head softly.

After the party last night finally came to an end, Emily called her mom at the last minute and said she was going to spend the night at Jai's house, promising she and her girlfriend were not going to do anything except sleep beside each other. But they didn't. Because for the rest of the night, she and Jai laid down on the latter's bed, just talking and laughing in hushed tones and holding hands. But when the talking and laughing died down, Emily found herself curled up next to Jai, struggling not to cry but Jai knew her so well that she turned to face her girlfriend and held her until they fell asleep. Now, as they stood in the middle of the bustling airport saying their final goodbyes, they were both lacking hours of sleep but it didn't matter. Because the few hours they spent last night didn't seem enough.

"Do I get a video chat with you too?" Paige asked, bouncing on her heels like a giddy kid, looking at Jai with doe eyes to try and break the otherwise depressing mood between the two lovebirds.

"Paige." Jai said warningly.

"Fine." Paige said, getting serious. "Call me too. But unlike your needy girlfriend here call me like once a week or every other week. Once a month works for me too." She stated, not exactly looking forward to her best friend calling her every chance she gets.

Unfortunately, her best friend was having none of it. "I'll call you every day." Jai said, making Paige groan inwardly.

"Jai I am kinda getting tired of telling you that I am fine. If you want to call me every day you are free to do so but I will only answer your calls once a week." Paige warned.

"Oh I am not gonna call to check up on you. I'm gonna call to check up on Emily." Jai said jokingly.

"Then I will never answer your calls. Call her not me if you want to check up on her." Paige said as she nodded her head towards the direction of the girl Jai still held in her arms.

"Please tell me when I get back you're both still breathing." Jai said as she looked from Paige to Emily.

"Paige will be alive long enough to take her last breath when she sees you." Emily said, ready to start a bickering contest once again when she noticed the brief flash of fear in Jai's eyes as her girlfriend looked at Paige intently.

"I promise I'll be around when you get back." Paige said seriously. "Don't worry about it."

Emily felt like there was something the two weren't telling her but she didn't dare ask what it was.

"Thank you." Jai said, relieved. "Now promise me you'll look after each other."

"Jai a toddler could look after me better than your so-called best friend here." Emily protested, still trying to get out of spending time with Paige.

"Oh please. Like I'm looking forward to hanging out with you!" Paige retorted. "Jai, nothing would please me more than to look after a toddler than Sniffles here."

Jai broke into a faint smile. "I guess I'll see you guys in a few months." She turned to Paige to give her friend a hug and then faced Emily. "I love you." She said emotionally.

"I love you too." Emily said, smiling sadly.

"Group hug?" Paige interjected, trying to lift the mood once again.

"Will you give us a moment please?" Emily asked, glaring at Paige.

"Fine. I'll be standing right over there." Paige said, pointing towards the magazine stands a few steps away to give the two some privacy.

"Keep safe love." Emily said when they were finally alone.

"You too. I'll see you before prom." Jai promised before kissing Emily deeply.

With a final hug, Emily watched sadly as Jai made her way towards the other boarding passengers, falling in line behind an old woman. Jai took one last look at her and waved before going inside. Emily crossed her arms in front of her chest as she let the tears fall, starting to miss Jai already. She jumped back in surprise when she heard Paige's voice beside her.

"Gum?" Paige asked, offering the girl a stick from the pack she bought while standing near the magazine rack a few minutes ago. When the girl just shook her head, Paige moved to stand in front of Emily. "That's it; give me Logan's car keys." She ordered, extending her hand when she saw that the girl was crying.

"What? Why?" Emily asked as she wiped the tears from her eyes, staring at Paige.

"Your vision is blurry Sniffles. I can't risk getting into an accident with you when Jai's plane hasn't even left. I want to be alive when she returns so I could tell her how much of a pain in the ass you are!" Paige explained.

Emily rolled her eyes, annoyed. "I can drive us home fine. I want to be alive too when she comes back so I can tell her that I was right all along. You're a world-class jerk and a burden!" She retorted.

"Hand me the car keys Sniffles!" Paige exclaimed as she lunged at Emily, slightly offended by the words Emily spoke to her that she unintentionally grabbed Emily's hand tighter than she intended.

"Geez ease up Paige." Emily said as she finally released her grip on the keys and flexed her hand, surprised by the firmness of Paige's grip on her. "No wonder you've never had a girlfriend your entire life. You're heartless."

"I'm heartless? You're crying because Jai left. If anything I'm understanding and concerned. Excuse me for caring!" Paige said defensively.

"Paige is this how it's going to be between us while Jai's gone?" Emily asked, suddenly tired. "Coz if the answer's yes I'd rather we stay away from each other until she returns." She said, sighing.

"Believe me. I'd like nothing more than to do just that but I made a promise to my best friend last night and I intend to keep it. I'm looking after you. End of discussion." Paige stated firmly.

"Well dial down your enthusiasm. Don't do it because you're obligated." Emily said quietly.

"Why? You're looking after me for the same reason right? If you had the choice you would love nothing more than to be rid of me. So quit whining." Paige said stonily before turning her back on the girl and heading for the parking lot.

Emily stood there for a moment, confused. She wasn't sure but she could have sworn she saw a flash of hurt cross Paige's eyes just now. Her words hit a nerve and she couldn't shake the feeling that Paige was in a lot of pain. _I don't want her to be alone_. Jai's words reverberated in her mind. _What aren't they telling me?_


	2. mutantur : chapter ii

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

_**First off… WOW… you guys are awesome! Thanks for the reviews and the enthusiasm about this story. I just hope this will be as good as if not better than Kismet.**_

_**Locum Tenens is going to be made up of five parts with several chapters each. I'm currently swamped at work but I'll try my best to update this story regularly. I just need you guys to be patient because I can't answer your questions without revealing what happens eventually. That's why as much as I would love to go on and on about it, I can't. This story will most likely continue until after 4a starts. I wanted to finish it during the hiatus but unless I post more than one chapter a week, I don't see that happening LOL.**_

_**iowahawx, hipnos7777, Jess Angell & Yeuchc22 thanks for the PM!**_

* * *

**PART ONE: "Mutantur Omnia Nos Et Mutamur In Illis"**

_~ All things change, and we change with them. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

Emily stirred from her sleep, woken up by a pinging sound coming from her bedroom window. _What is that? _She thought irritably before checking the clock on her bedside table. When she saw that it was five in the morning, Emily mentally groaned in frustration. Who was disturbing her sleep at such an early hour? She thought about ignoring the sound and covered her head with a pillow but the noise wouldn't stop. Sighing, she finally decided to get up and trudged towards the window, this time groaning out loud when she looked down and saw Paige in her running attire, about to throw another pebble. Hurriedly, she opened her window to catch the girl's attention.

"What are you doing?!" Emily whispered incredulously.

Paige lowered her hand and threw the small stone lightly behind some bushes. "Took you long enough." She said, irritated. "Do you wear earplugs or something when you sleep? I've been throwing pebbles at your window for the past fifteen minutes."

"Well I was hoping the noise would eventually go away. And with it the person who's making the noise." Emily said pointedly. "What do you want?" She asked, itching to go back to sleep.

"I want you to change out of your..." Paige squinted to try and see the girl's current outfit. "Whatever it is you're wearing." She said, giving up trying to guess. "We're going for a run." She explained in a hushed tone.

"A run?" Emily asked, confused.

"Yeah. It's good for building stamina, burning calories, regulating breathing, etcetera, etcetera. Come on!" Paige urged.

"I know what it does. I run too. But Paige it's five in the morning and I just slept a few hours ago." Emily revealed reluctantly.

"Let me guess, you were up all night talking to Jai again." Paige said sarcastically.

"Well excuse me for having a girlfriend." Emily retorted.

"That's no excuse. The first meet's in a few weeks. I was serious about you slacking off at swim practice last week. As team captain I've taken it upon myself to make sure that you are in tiptop shape since you're the anchor. You're supposed to be the fastest. The anchor in a _leg _not the anchor in a boat. Get your ass down here." Paige ordered.

Emily sighed, frustrated. "Fine. Give me five minutes." She said, knowing Paige wouldn't leave her alone unless she joined the girl outside.

"Make it two." Paige told her impatiently before beginning to do some stretches.

"Five or I'm going back to sleep." Emily said firmly, refusing to let Paige order her around.

"Just hurry up Sniffles." Paige said, conceding.

* * *

Emily leapt over a protruding tree root and ran a short distance before slowing down and bending over to catch her breath. She looked up and saw that Paige was about to round a bend on the trail and she didn't want the girl to look behind her only to realize she was alone so she called out breathlessly.

"Paige slow down. I think I pulled a hamstring." Emily said, raising her voice to be heard before placing her hands on her knees to catch her breath once again.

Paige turned around and saw the girl bent over, gasping for breath. "I think I should stop calling you Sniffles and start calling you Princess." She said as she slowly walked back towards Emily.

"Hey not all of us can run as fast as you, okay?" Emily said defensively, moving to rest against a tree trunk. "Besides, running on rough terrain wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I let you drag me out of bed. I thought we'd be running around the streets of Rosewood. Not the forbidden forest."

Emily wasn't going to say it out loud but when she agreed to a morning run with Paige, she thought they would be doing something along the lines of jogging. But apparently when Paige said they were going for a run, the girl meant there would be actual running involved. Like they were in a marathon or something. She stole a glance at the girl and was surprised when she realized Paige didn't even break a sweat and wasn't even breathing unevenly, unlike her. This was something she didn't know Paige was actually good at but she wasn't going to admit that to the girl. She wouldn't hear the end of it if Paige found out she was impressed.

Paige tossed her water bottle towards Emily, deciding to ignore the girl's comment. "How's Jai doing?" She asked, remembering why the girl felt tired.

Emily lifted the lid and decided to answer the question first. "She's great. Still a little jet-lagged but she's really excited to be there." She managed to say between intakes of breath before starting to drink, careful not to let the sides of the opening touch her lips.

"That's good to hear." Paige said, nodding.

Emily stared at Paige, surprised. "You still haven't talked to her?" She asked before closing the lid.

Apparently Paige was serious about the whole not answering Jai's phone calls. It's been five days since her girlfriend left for London and a day hasn't gone by that they haven't talked or chatted before Emily went to sleep. She has been in constant communication with Jai but she still missed her girlfriend terribly. Obviously, the same thing couldn't be said about Jai's best friend. Maybe she was right. Maybe Paige doesn't have a heart.

"Would I ask you about her if I did?" Paige asked sarcastically.

Emily tossed the water bottle back to Paige, annoyed. "Paige tone down your sarcasm. It's early and I really don't want to be in a bickering contest with you just yet." She warned.

"Fine." Paige said, trying to figure out how to do that. "She's been calling but like I said before she left, I'll only talk to her once a week." She explained.

"When do you plan on talking to her then?" Emily asked.

"Probably this weekend." Paige replied, hedging. "Or the next. I don't know."

"Why don't you want to talk to her everyday anyway?" Emily asked, curious.

"Well for one, she has you for that." Paige said, smirking. "And because unlike you, I'm not needy. I don't need her to check up on me everyday." She added, still managing to get on Emily's nerves.

"I'm not needy. I just miss my girlfriend. I'm actually capable of feeling some sort of emotion." Emily shot back.

"Are you calling me heartless again?" Paige asked, amused.

"Serves you right." Emily retorted.

"Well since I'm so _heartless _we should probably head back the way we came. There was a dead animal earlier down this path. I don't know if it's been removed and I don't want to ruin your appetite or anything _Your Highness_." Paige said, bowing down in front of the girl.

Emily ignored Paige's mockery and decided to zero in on something the girl said instead. "Earlier? Wait, you ran here _earlier_? What time did you start running?" She asked. She didn't know if she was supposed to be impressed or concerned and she decided to keep her expression neutral for now.

"I've been running since four. I just took a break to get you." Paige answered flippantly like it was something she did on a regular basis.

Emily frowned. "Four A.M.?! Why so early?" She asked.

Paige shrugged. "I couldn't sleep. Running helps me pass the time." She explained.

"Is there something bothering you?" Emily asked, slightly concerned when she was suddenly reminded that she promised to look after Jai's best friend.

"No." Paige said in a tone that told Emily to drop the subject. "Catch your breath already?" She asked, suddenly desperate to end their morning run considering she was the one who insisted that Emily join her.

"Yeah." Emily answered, taking the hint as she straightened up.

"Then come on. Let's go back." Paige said, walking past the confused girl to head back the way they came.

Paige was aware of the girl keeping her distance. Emily was walking behind her and she knew the girl was studying her closely. She took a deep breath and began to do some stretches while walking, her mind buzzing with activity. She knew why she couldn't sleep. Stress is one of its triggers and Jai's departure and the favor her best friend asked of her before she left stressed the hell out of her. As Paige became aware that Emily was finally walking beside her, she had a sinking feeling that she won't be getting much if any sleep at all until Jai returns.

* * *

"Here." Paige said as she took something out of the backpack she left outside Emily's house earlier.

"What's that?" Emily asked, hesitant to accept what the girl was giving her.

Paige rolled her eyes. "It's not gonna bite you. It's an energy bar. Jai gives you one every morning doesn't she?" She asked, waving the bar in front of Emily.

"How did you know?" Emily asked, finally taking the food.

Paige shrugged. "I have superpowers. Of observation. Everyday when you two get to school you're munching on one and I've been to Jai's house numerous times it's like it's my second home. I've noticed their kitchen has a stock of the exact brand you're eating. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out." She explained as she looked around to see if she left anything behind.

"So does this mean from now on you'll have a stock of this brand lying around in your house too?" Emily guessed.

Paige shook her head. "You'll fail at this whole superpowers thing. You have zero powers of observation." She said, seemingly disappointed. "No. It means I took the stock from Jai's house to give to you. I don't want those going to waste. You can buy your own stock after for all I care. I just don't get it though." She said as she searched the inside of her bag for something.

"Get what?" Emily asked.

"Why you like that thing so much. It tastes like mulched paper." Paige answered.

"You know what mulched paper tastes like?" Emily asked, amused.

Paige made a disgusted face. "_No_. But I imagine it tastes something like that." She said, nodding her head towards the bar.

"Well it's good for the body." Emily reasoned out.

"_Please_. Lots of food is good for the body. It doesn't have to taste like that to be good. I give you a better version. Here." Paige said, finally finding what she was looking for.

"Chewy granola bar?" Emily asked as she stared dubiously at the bar Paige was handing out to her.

"Hey. Don't diss it 'til you've tasted it. It's way better." Paige insisted. When she saw the reluctance in Emily's face, she continued. "How about a bet? If you don't like this I'll eat those energy bars for a month." She offered, nodding her head once again towards the bar Emily held in her hand.

Emily shook her head. "Not good enough. If I don't like that, you'll eat these energy bars until Jai returns." She challenged.

Paige scoffed. "Deal." She answered, knowing for sure that she would win. "And if you like this, I get to ask of you one thing. I don't know when I'll ask it and what it'll be. But I get to ask it and you can't say no." Paige said as she deposited the granola bar on Emily's hand.

"Done." Emily agreed, confident she would win.

"I guess I'll see you at school then Sniffles." Paige said, turning her back to make her way home.

"When will you start calling me by my name?" Emily called after the girl.

"What are you talking about? That's your name." Paige said, looking back at Emily.

"Why do I even bother? You're a lost cause." Emily said, resigned. "Thanks for ruining my morning."

"My pleasure. You better get used to it. Until Jai returns we are going to be running buddies!" Paige exclaimed, clapping her hands together in mock enthusiasm.

* * *

_"So how was school today honey?"_

_"The same. Except today I got called to the guidance office. How cool is that?"_

Paige heaved a sigh, fidgeting in the chair she occupied as she played in her head her version of the scenario at dinner tonight. Her father's initial reaction when he finds out that she talked to the guidance counselor again would be one of extreme concern. She just hoped she would be able to pacify him. Paige bit her bottom lip, looking around her as she wondered (possibly for the hundredth time)why the school's guidance counselor suddenly wanted to have a word with her. The last time she checked, she wasn't in any kind of trouble. Or exhibiting signs of being in trouble like she did for a few days during her freshman year. Her week has been uneventful so far and she wanted to keep it that way. But luck wasn't on her side. Not that it ever was in the first place. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked behind her, trying to see through the windows if the counselor was outside before taking a look at the time on her watch. She had been waiting for almost twenty minutes now. She was about to get up and ask someone where the counselor went when the door opened and a woman in her early 30s entered, holding in her hand what Paige assumed was her file.

"Sorry." The woman said in greeting. "I was called to the Principal's office on my way here." She said before walking to the other side of the table and sitting down.

"Oh yeah? What did you do?" Paige asked, trying to make a joke to ease her nervousness. She really didn't want to be there.

The woman gave Paige a small smile. "Nothing serious." She said before opening Paige's file and going through the papers.

_Ways not to establish rapport: avoid small talk, check_. Paige thought wryly, watching the counselor go through her file. She forced her leg to stop bouncing and decided to focus on the nameplate in front of her instead; hoping reading the name inscribed on it over and over will make her feel comfortable. _Sara Thompson. Guidance Counselor._

"Senior year." Sara began, closing Paige's file and finally turning her attention to the nervous girl. "You've thought about schools? Where you want to go for college?" She asked, smiling kindly.

"Um, it's always been USC for me." Paige answered after a beat, relieved that she wasn't there because she was in trouble. "I figured I'd run track there instead of swimming. My track coach and I have discussed it last year. She said she could probably get a scout to see me at one of my meets this year, get a full ride scholarship, sign an NLI."

"California." Sara said, nodding thoughtfully. "I don't mean to pry but isn't that kind of far to go to college?" She asked cautiously. "There are other colleges and universities in the state of Pennsylvania. Why go somewhere far? Have you explored your options here?"

"I know it's in the west coast. But I love the weather there. And that school means a lot to me. So it's always been USC for me." Paige explained.

"I see. Well have you thought about applying to an Ivy League school?" Sara asked, finally getting to her point. "UPenn perhaps?"

"Ivy League?" Paige asked, confused. "I… don't think my grades are gonna cut it." She said, trying to wrap her mind around what the counselor just said.

"But you're interested." Sara observed.

Paige shook her head. "Not really. Like I said, it's USC for me." She repeated.

"Just think about it." Sara urged. "I know UPenn doesn't offer NLIs and there are no academic or athletic scholarships in Ivy League schools but it's one of the prestigious universities in the country. Once you get in you can still apply for a financial aid if you need one." She added, trying to encourage Paige to consider the school.

"I just have to pass the entrance exams first." Paige said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"And you need to be more involved with extracurricular activities this year." Sara added, ignoring Paige's uncertainty. "I've seen your file. You're almost there. Do well your senior year and you have a good shot at getting into UPenn." She said reassuringly.

Paige gave Sara a thin smile. "Except that school isn't really for me. It's kinda for my best friend and her girlfriend. It's their school of choice. Not mine. I really want to get out of Pennsylvania." She admitted.

"I didn't ask you to come here to talk about your best friend and her girlfriend's plans for their future. I want to talk about yours. Paige a degree from an Ivy League school increases your chances of securing a good job, opening doors for various opportunities others would fight tooth and nail for. Just think about it. It's a rare opportunity. Apply for both. There's no harm in doing that." Sara insisted.

Paige stood up. "Okay. I'll think about it." She said, still unsure about what just happened.

Sara followed suit and gave her several brochures and booklets about UPenn. "Here. You might find some courses that interest you. You can ask your best friend or other students you know who've applied or are planning to apply there; they might be of some help for you to make a decision. If you have any other questions, feel free to come by." She said, smiling as she handed everything to Paige.

"Okay." Paige repeated, staring at the brochures. "Does my dad... I mean, have you talked to him? Has he been here to see you? I really don't want a repeat of what happened freshman year." She said, looking at Sara uncertainly.

Sara shook her head. "No. This is an entirely different matter. This is your future. I wanted to talk to you so you can make the decision for yourself. I'm not trying to ruin your plans. Just giving you options. I'd rather you make the decision than someone else make it for you." She said understandingly.

"Okay." Paige said again. It seemed like that was the only word she knew how to say right now. "Can I go now?" She asked quietly.

Once the guidance counselor nodded, Paige hastily made her way towards the door. As she joined the students milling the hallways, in a hurry to get to their respective classes, she slowly made her way towards her locker. Depositing everything Sara gave her, she took out the books she would need for the rest of the day but couldn't bring herself to stop staring at the paraphernalia. _Ivy League_. _UPenn_. _When my dad finds out about this I could certainly kiss my USC plans goodbye_. She took a deep breath and closed the door of her locker, dreading going home tonight.

* * *

"Paige, wait." Emily called out when she saw the girl about to leave the locker room after swim practice that afternoon. Gathering her things, she hurriedly caught up to Paige who stood waiting impatiently for her by the door.

"What is it?" Paige asked when Emily was finally standing in front of her.

"I just thought we could walk together for a change. Jai isn't around so there's really no reason to race to get to the lounge is there?" Emily asked. She wanted to keep the promise she made to Jai and for her to be able to do that, she had to be around Jai's best friend.

Paige stared at Emily, trying to gauge if the girl was kidding. "There's no reason to get to the lounge. Period." She finally said when she realized that Emily was serious about walking together.

"Paige I'm trying here." Emily said, willing herself not to roll her eyes at the girl in frustration.

"Whatever." Paige answered coolly before opening the door to start walking towards the lounge.

They walked in silence for a while, the air thick with tension and discomfort. They were walking together but they were so uncomfortable around each other students would think that they just happened to be walking towards the same direction. Paige studied Emily from the corner of her eye, debating whether or not to ask the girl about UPenn. She took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing… _She thought as she cleared her throat.

"So… what's the verdict with the granola bar?" Paige asked, chickening out at the last second.

Emily looked at Paige and smiled. "I hated it." She declared smugly. "I guess you're eating those energy bars with me until Jai returns."

Paige frowned. "Really?" She asked, studying Emily closely. "Huh. I was so sure you'd like it."

"Well I didn't." Emily insisted.

Paige shrugged. "Fair enough. I guess I'm eating those energy bars with you then." She concluded, rolling her eyes in annoyance when Emily nodded her head haughtily. She bit her bottom lip to stop herself from making fun of Emily. She needed to play nice if she wanted to ask the girl about UPenn.

They resumed walking in silence for a few seconds before Paige decided to broach the subject again. "So… UPenn." She finally managed to say, not meeting Emily's eyes.

Emily glanced at Paige, surprised. "What about it?" She asked.

"Why do you like to go there for college?" Paige asked, still not meeting the girl's curious stare.

"Lots of reasons." Emily began. "Jai's going there is at the top of the list. Obviously I don't need to tell you that." She added irritably when she noticed Paige roll her eyes. "It's an Ivy League school. Why wouldn't I want to go there? The courses in their Wharton school are one of the best in the country and if I want to be in advertising, that's where I'm headed. And I know it's a little far from Rosewood but I don't mind the commute since I still get to go home during the weekends so I can still visit my mom and my dad when he comes home."

"You've been to the campus?" Paige asked, glancing at Emily briefly.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. Last year. Jai and I went there when she took that campus tour." She revealed.

"Right." Paige said thoughtfully. Jai didn't tell her she took that tour with Emily. Probably because her best friend knew she would make fun of them. Which was pretty much accurate. "And you liked it." She added when she noticed the sudden change in Emily's mood. "I'm guessing the tour gave you and Jai a glimpse of what college life would be like for the both of you." She said, unable to resist the urge to comment on Emily's mood knowing it wasn't the campus she was thinking of just now.

"What's with all the questions?" Emily asked, starting to get defensive.

"No reason." Paige said offhandedly. It's not like she was going to start talking to the girl about her current predicament.

"Well to answer your question, yeah. I liked what I saw of it. I didn't really get a chance to look around since we spent most of the time touring Perelman instead of Wharton." Emily said. "But I'm planning on going there with Spencer for another campus tour next month." She added.

"What is she doing here?" Spencer's annoyed tone stopped the two in mid-conversation when they realized they've arrived at the student lounge.

"Sentinel duty." Paige supplied, purposely annoying the three girls sitting on the lounge warily.

Emily rolled her eyes. "She's kidding." She said to her friends.

"Not really. Jai's gonna kill me if something happens to you." Paige said to the girl standing next to her. "Like if you get a paper cut or something. Wouldn't want to ruin that flawless skin of yours." She added sarcastically. "I think Jai left a label on you. FRAGILE or HANDLE WITH CARE. I can't seem to remember."

"You know, I really wish it was you who went away Paige." Spencer said, her voice dripping with dislike. Just because Jai asked Emily to look after Paige doesn't mean they would tolerate the girl making fun of Emily every chance she gets.

"You and me both." Paige shot back. "But sadly I'm not as smart as her so I guess you'd just have to learn to live with it." She looked at the three girls sitting on the couches and felt they were sizing her up. "You know what? I can tell when I'm not wanted. I'm going to go away now." She said, turning around to leave.

"Paige wait, what are you talking about? You can stay." Emily offered, making Paige turn around to face her.

"A pity invite? Thanks but no thanks. I'm going for a run." Paige explained, turning her back once again.

"_Again_? We already ran this morning." Emily reminded the girl.

Paige sighed, turning around one last time to face Emily. "So? I love running. It keeps my heart rate up. It's not like I'm asking you to join me. I'll see you around Sniffles and the gang." She said, turning her back to leave for real this time.

Emily and her friends watched as Paige headed for the door leading to the exit, stopping for a moment when a girl who looked like she was a freshman suddenly came up to her and handed her a piece of paper. Paige nodded as if listening to what the girl was saying and then took the paper, meeting Emily's eyes once the girl was gone. Emily felt her face flush in embarrassment when Paige caught her staring but she met the other girl's gaze head on. Paige broke into a smirk before pocketing the paper and walking outside.

"You think she calls those girls?" Aria asked them thoughtfully.

Hanna shrugged. "I don't know. I wouldn't put it past her. I just don't understand how someone as awesome as Jai could have someone as messed up as Paige for a best friend." She said to them.

Emily finally turned her attention to her friends. "I don't know how either. Jai insists I'd like her once I got to know her but Paige isn't making any effort so I'll just take my girlfriend's word for it."

* * *

"So how was school today honey?" Nick McCullers asked once he and Paige were seated in front of dinner that night. He transferred some garden salad onto his plate before passing the bowl to his daughter and stared at Paige expectantly.

"Good." Paige answered vaguely as she took the bowl of salad her father handed to her. She was already dreading where the conversation was headed.

"Anything interesting happen?" Nick inquired, studying his daughter closely.

Paige took a forkful of salad greens and chewed it slowly, buying herself some time before answering the question. She never lied to her dad and she couldn't bring herself to start now. Honesty was a big deal for both of them. She swallowed hard before speaking.

"I wouldn't call it interesting." Paige began, not quite meeting her father's eyes when he stopped eating his baked salmon to focus his complete attention to her. "I got called to the guidance office today." She continued. "I wasn't in trouble!" She said hurriedly when she saw her father's concerned look. "She just wanted to talk about college this time."

"You told her you're set on going to USC?" Nick asked as he resumed eating his dinner.

"Yeah." Paige nodded. "The thing is, she said I could apply to UPenn if I wanted to. I mean, I have to be more involved with extracurricular activities and get good grades this year but I have a good chance of getting in if I was interested." She admitted reluctantly.

"UPenn huh?" Nick said, the wheels in his mind working in overdrive that Paige could practically hear the gears shifting.

"Yeah." Paige said hoarsely, knowing what's about to come.

"It's an Ivy League school. Great opportunities waiting for you after you graduate." Nick began, making Paige lose her appetite.

"I know. But they don't offer NLIs and there are no academic or athletic scholarships either. Just financial aid." Paige reasoned out.

"The tuition was never a factor in your college plans Paige." Nick reminded his daughter.

"I know." Paige repeated. "But I still want to try and get a full ride scholarship. And if USC can give me an NLI that money you saved for college could go somewhere else instead. Like me getting a car." She said lightly, trying to change the subject.

"Still. It wouldn't hurt to try. California is so far from here honey." Nick said, smiling tightly.

"But we talked about this already. You know how much I wanted to go there for college." Paige insisted. "And I'm doing better. I'm seventeen. I have a better handle on things unlike when I was ten."

"I know. And I have nothing against you going to USC. I just think you shouldn't waste an opportunity to get into an Ivy League school if it meant you can stay here." Nick explained gently.

"I don't _want _to stay here. Dad, you know how much I'm looking forward to graduating and getting out of this place." Paige reminded her father.

Nick nodded. "I do. And you know that I understand why you want to leave. But you also have to think long-term. What your guidance counselor said changes things. Your reason for leaving isn't enough anymore. Unless you get to sign an NLI and convince me that USC is a better school I can't just let you ignore UPenn." He said with quiet authority.

"Maybe in terms of academics UPenn is better. But USC is still a better match for me. I love that campus." Paige reiterated.

"You love what it can give you for four years. Not what it can do for you after. Please. Just take the entrance exam in UPenn. Try hard to get in. It would make me feel better if you weren't so far away." Nick finally admitted.

Paige sighed, pushing around the food on her plate. "Okay." She said reluctantly, knowing her father wasn't going to take no for an answer.

* * *

"Em, could you pass the syrup please?" Kayla asked, extending a hand towards the girl. Emily picked up the bottle of maple syrup beside her and handed it to Jai's sister. "Thanks." She said, opening the bottle and pouring a generous amount of syrup all over her waffles.

It was the first Saturday that Logan and the three girls were sharing a meal at the Hayes household without Jai. Although technically the tradition started because of her, Logan told Emily and Paige not to stop coming over on Saturdays for breakfast and the two girls couldn't say no.

Paige watched Kayla from the corner of her eye as the girl drowned her breakfast in maple syrup, cringing involuntarily at the sight. "You're supposed to be eating waffles Kayla. Not drinking the syrup." She reminded the girl seated beside her.

"What?" Kayla asked, staring at Paige. "I like mine sweet."

"Try sickly sweet." Paige corrected.

"Whatever. At least I got you to talk. For a while there I thought the girl seated beside me was someone else. What's up with you?" Kayla asked, studying Paige closely.

Paige shook her head. "Nothing." She said when she saw Emily and Logan focus their attention on her. "I'm just really hungry." She added, forcing herself to take another bite of her own waffle.

"So Emily, got any big plans for your birthday? It's next week, right?" Logan asked, shifting his gaze to his daughter's girlfriend this time. "If your friends want to throw a party for you, you're welcome to hold it here. Just make sure it's on a weekend so it doesn't interfere with your studies." He reminded lightly. "Senior year is a crucial year for all of you."

Emily swallowed the piece of waffle she had been chewing before speaking. "Yeah my birthday's next week." She began. "And thank you. For the offer. But I'm not really in the mood to have a party. Without Jai it won't be complete." She admitted. "Maybe I'll just have a quiet dinner with my mom and go out with my friends but that's it."

Logan nodded. "Well if you change your mind, just tell me." He said sincerely before drinking the rest of his coffee. He took a look at the time on his watch and grimaced. "Sorry to cut this breakfast short but I have an appointment at 11. I have to leave now if I'm to make it on time." He said, standing up and looking at the three girls apologetically.

"Don't worry about it. We got this dad." Kayla reassured him, smiling up at her father.

Logan smiled and kissed his daughter on the head goodbye before turning his attention to Paige and Emily. "By the way, I'm glad the two of you managed to make it through breakfast without bickering. Although Paige barely said anything." He added, his eyes crinkling in laughter. "I wish Jai could see you two right now."

Paige forced a smile on her lips before taking a sip of her juice, watching Logan leave the room behind the rim of the glass. The truth was, she had a lot on her mind ever since her talk with the guidance counselor. That's why she barely participated in the morning chatter. She was busy racking her brain for ways to get out of applying to UPenn but so far she's coming up empty.

"Ow!" Paige suddenly exclaimed, rubbing her left side when she felt Kayla elbow her. "What the hell did you do that for?" She asked.

"Are you gonna help us clean this up or what?" Kayla asked, pointing to the dirty dishes on the table.

Emily stood up and began to help Kayla. "Don't count on Paige's help on this one." She said. "I'm surprised she's still here. I was expecting her to bolt the second Logan left the room."

"Not today." Paige said offhandedly before getting up as well. She didn't have it in her to bicker with Emily today. "Kayla and I made plans to hang out all day." She explained when she saw Emily's questioning look.

"Just the two of you." Emily stated, staring at the two girls back and forth uncertainly.

"Well I _would_ invite you to join us but I've been around you two long enough to know that that is a terrible idea. I want to enjoy the day. Not go to bed stressed out." Kayla admitted. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Emily said, smiling understandingly. "I wouldn't want to spend the day getting called Sniffles anyway. I was just surprised. I didn't know you two have gotten close."

"Yeah well contrary to what your girlfriend told you, Jai isn't the only friend I have." Paige said, slightly annoyed. "I'm capable of making friends."

"I didn't mean it like that…" Emily began.

"I gotta take this." Paige interjected when she felt her phone vibrate, choosing to ignore Emily's half-baked apology. When she saw who was calling, she immediately left the room. "Yeah?" She said as she put the phone to her ear.

* * *

"Finally you decided to answer my call." Jai said in greeting, reprimanding her best friend lightly. "Jeez, Paige. You really meant it when you said you'll only talk to me once a week."

"Yep." Paige said as she walked farther from the dining room to have some privacy.

"Everything okay?" Jai asked, suddenly sounding worried.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Paige answered, stopping at the foot of the stairs.

"You sound tired." Jai observed.

Paige ran a hand through her hair, exasperated. Sometimes it's frustrating that Jai could tell something was wrong just by hearing the tone of her voice. "Just had a busy week." She said after a beat.

"Tell me." Jai coaxed. "Come on. It's been a week. Tell me what you've been up to."

"Aren't you supposed to be talking to your girlfriend?" Paige asked in an effort to change the subject.

"I've been talking to her ever since I left. I know what's going on with her. Right now I want to talk to my best friend who's been dodging my calls." Jai said lightly. "What's going on with you?"

Paige sighed. "Nothing. Everything's fine." She insisted. "Look. I'm sorry I didn't answer your calls until now. I was just being stubborn."

"I know." Jai said, laughing. "I'm just glad you decided to take this one. Emily's birthday is coming up." She reminded her friend.

"Right." Paige said slowly. "Your surprise. Sorry."

"It's fine. I was gonna ask Kayla to tell you to answer your phone if you still refused to pick up today." Jai explained. "Anyway, when you get a chance, swing by my house."

"I'm here already." Paige informed her best friend.

"You are?" Jai asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Your dad didn't want to stop having Saturday breakfast with us even if you're in London. I figured since I really don't have anything planned the rest of the day, I'd hang out with your sister. Try to find out more about the girl she has a crush on." Paige explained.

"Just the two of you? Paige..." Jai warned.

Paige rolled her eyes before starting to make her way upstairs, knowing Jai's surprise for Emily was in the girl's bedroom. "Will you relax? I don't have an ulterior motive. I'm not gonna make a move on her." She reassured her best friend. "I'm heading to your room right now." She said as she took the steps two at a time. "What do you need me to get?" Paige asked, locking the door behind her once she was inside her best friend's bedroom.

"Go to my bureau and open the first drawer." Jai instructed.

Paige did as she was told. "Okay." She said when she finally pulled open the first drawer. "All I see are shirts."

"Under those shirts you're gonna find a box." Jai explained.

"Huh." Paige said, searching blindly for the box under the clothes. "Got it." She said when she felt the box and took it out.

"I want you to give that to her." Jai said eagerly.

"Are you sure?" Paige asked once she opened the box and saw the object inside. "I mean, I think you should be the one to give this to her."

"Believe me. I wish I was there to give that to her myself. But yeah, of course I'm sure I want her to have it. It's the reason I bought it in the first place. I busted my ass doing summer jobs and working at the hospital for that. I'm just glad I was able to buy that necklace for her before I left." Jai admitted.

"Lucky her." Paige commented absentmindedly as she touched the stones on the object.

"What do you think?" Jai asked, suddenly nervous.

"I think it cost you an arm and a leg." Paige said, closing the lid and returning the box inside the bureau. "Not to mention a kidney." She added lightly.

"She's worth it. I'd even give up both arms and legs for her." Jai said with so much conviction that Paige stifled a groan.

"Overkill Jazz." Paige said, shaking her head.

"You're saying that now. Wait 'til you fall in love." Jai said seriously.

"Whatever. So how do you plan on giving your gift to her?" Paige asked as she settled on the edge of her best friend's bed.

"Okay listen up. Here's what I need you to do…" Jai began.

* * *

By Tuesday afternoon, although things seemed bleak on the whole college situation, Paige still refused to give up her plan of attending USC next year. She spent the rest of the weekend trying to come up with ways to get out of the situation but she still had no idea what to do. She needed to be recruited by that school because without the NLI from USC, her dad will never allow her to go to college so far from home now that he knew about UPenn. That meant she had to try hard to get into the Ivy League school like she told her dad but she can't bring herself to be enthusiastic about it. That's why when she was asked to come early to track practice by her coach, she was nervous as to why but a part of her felt like the week was off to a good start.

Paige entered the deserted locker room, walking past the row of metal lockers to head straight to her coach's office. As she passed by the window, she noticed that her coach was on the phone talking to someone. Once she reached the door, she knocked on it twice and looked through the window, waiting for the woman to ask her to come in. When her coach gestured for her to get inside, Paige opened the door and settled on the chair opposite the woman.

"Yes. Yes. You won't regret it. Next month. Yes. We'll see you there." The woman said before finally ending the call. She replaced the handset on its cradle and stared at Paige. "That was the recruiter from USC." She began. At that, Paige's eyes widened and her coach smiled. "I remember what we talked about last year." Her coach added. "I convinced him to come to the first track meet next month. It wasn't easy but I told him he would want to see you."

"I don't know what to say." Paige admitted, smiling genuinely for the first time since she left the guidance office. "Thank you. Coach Reilly. This really means a lot." She said earnestly, unable to put into words just how much the news really meant to her.

"Don't thank me yet. Between now and the meet, I want you on that field before and after your classes. You gotta get your times down." Coach Reilly reminded her.

Paige nodded enthusiastically. "I will. I'll work hard. You won't regret making that call." She promised.

The coach smiled. "You're one of my best runners Paige. I want you to get this scholarship. You deserve it." She said sincerely.

Paige stood up. "I guess I better start running some laps then." She stated eagerly.

The coach nodded, signaling their conversation was over and Paige hurriedly went out of the office and straight to her locker to change into her running gear. Just when she thought Coach Reilly forgot about their talk last year, the woman came through for her and she couldn't be happier. _I'll impress that recruiter and get an NLI_. She thought determinedly, sitting down on one of the wooden benches to tie the shoelaces of her running shoes. She wasn't going down without a fight. She'll try hard to get into UPenn. But she'll try harder to get into USC.

* * *

Emily checked the time on the wall clock in front of her and sighed in relief. Her shift at the Brew was finally over and she couldn't wait to get home. She needed to start on her homework early if she wanted to spend the rest of the night talking with Jai. Tomorrow is her birthday and she was hoping that she and Jai could talk until the clock struck midnight (at least on her side of the globe). She wanted Jai to be the first person to greet her a happy birthday.

"I'm done for the day Kevin." Emily called out to her boss as she removed her apron. She looked at the back of the store to check if the guy heard her. "I'm going home." She said, waiting for Kevin to acknowledge her. Once her boss nodded without looking up, Emily began to make her way towards the front entrance, smiling at her co-workers and bidding them goodbye on the way out. She put on her jacket once she was outside and turned to her left to start making her way home, already looking forward to Jai's call later.

"Hi." The voice of a girl behind her made Emily stop in her tracks. Turning around, she found herself staring at a girl not much older than her. The girl had shoulder-length layered black hair, brown eyes and an open smile.

"Hi?" Emily said, smiling back hesitantly. She had no idea who the girl was but she looked familiar.

"You're Emily, right? My name's Carla." The girl said, extending a hand for Emily to shake.

"Hi. Carla." Emily repeated, shaking the girl's outstretched hand. She's still confused as to why the girl was talking to her.

"You're probably wondering why I'm talking to you." Carla said as if she read Emily's mind just now.

Emily nodded. "A little bit. Yeah." She admitted, smiling at the girl apologetically.

"I've been coming to this coffee shop a lot." Carla began.

Recognition finally dawned on Emily. "Yeah. I remember you now. You're one of our regulars." She said, making Carla's smile widen. "My shift just ended." Emily informed the girl thinking she wanted service that's why Carla stopped her.

"Then I guess that's one reason you can't say no." Carla concluded. "I know this seems forward. But the truth is I don't drink coffee. Not regularly anyway. I just like coming here because of one particular barista." She admitted, staring at Emily meaningfully.

"Oh." Emily said, feeling her cheeks flush from the attention. "Um… by any chance… you're not from around here are you?" She asked timidly. Everyone around town knew she and Jai were together and the day they became a couple was the day girls stopped coming up to her to ask her out.

"Me? Unfortunately no. I'm a freshman in college. I go to Hollis. I actually live in the next town but my roommate lives here and I come to visit her sometimes." Carla explained. "Although now she's wondering why I'm around all the time." She added, laughing.

"Right." Emily said, nodding her head. "Well…" She began but Carla didn't seem to hear her.

"Anyway, there's this party on campus tonight and I was wondering if maybe you'd like to join us? Me and my roommate." Carla clarified. "You can bring some friends if you like."

"Uh. I don't know about that. You see…" Emily said, trying to explain again but Carla wasn't taking 'no' for an answer.

"Just think about it. Here, let me give you my number." Carla said, slowly reaching out to take Emily's hand so she could write it down. "In case you change your mind."

"What's going on here?" Paige's inquiring tone from behind them made Emily look past Carla in surprise. Quickly, she extricated her hand from Carla's grasp and placed it to her side, trying to erase the number the girl wrote just now by rubbing her palm against the surface of her jeans. Emily didn't know if she felt relieved that Paige was there or if she should be worried that Jai's best friend saw what happened just now.

"Paige." Emily uttered, her voice hoarse. Yep. She's most definitely worried.

Paige studied Emily closely, trying to make sense of what she just witnessed. She was about to head straight home from track practice when she decided to start working on Jai's plan for Emily's birthday tonight instead of tomorrow afternoon. She had a lot of stopovers to make and Lucky Leons was the first. She normally didn't pass by this street on her way home but the store was just a few shops away from the Brew. When she saw the two girls talking just outside the coffee shop, Paige decided to approach them, momentarily forgetting why she passed by that street in the first place.

Paige finally averted her eyes from Emily to look at the other girl. "That's me. I'm Paige." She said, pointing to herself when she saw Carla's confused look. She fixed the strap of her duffel bag on her shoulder before placing her hands inside her jacket pockets, waiting for an explanation.

"This is Carla." Emily said, finally making the introductions. "She's not from around here. She's a college freshman at Hollis and she just invited me to a party there tonight." She continued, silently asking for Paige's help out of the situation.

"And your friends." Carla added. "I see you have _very_ attractive friends." She said, giving Paige a lengthy onceover.

"We're not really…" Paige began but stopped when she saw the look Emily gave her. "I mean, _she_ can't go." Paige said, nodding her head towards Emily. "That's why I came by. Your girlfriend's phone died. She asked me to swing by here and tell you that she's just gonna meet you at your house for your date tonight." She said to Emily, trying to keep her tone friendly in front of a stranger.

"Girlfriend?" Carla asked, looking at them back and forth.

"You didn't tell her?" Paige asked Emily, trying hard not to lose her temper in front of Carla. "Yeah. She has a serious girlfriend. She has been taken for two years, eleven months, two weeks, two days and counting." She stated, surprising Emily.

"Wow." Carla said, slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I was trying to tell you earlier." Emily explained.

Carla shook her head. "No big deal. I should've known. Girls who look like you are rarely single." She said, trying to save face. "How about you?" She asked, turning her complete attention to Paige this time.

"How about me what?" Paige asked, pretending not to understand what the girl was asking.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Carla clarified.

"I don't know. Do _you_ think I have a girlfriend?" Paige said, throwing the question back at the girl.

Carla studied Paige before smiling flirtatiously. "I think you don't do girlfriends and that's totally fine." She answered truthfully. "I'm about to meet my roommate now to grab dinner before heading to the party. Wanna join us? Unless you have other plans."

Paige shook her head. "I'm free the rest of the day." She said, ignoring Emily's look of disbelief.

"Perfect. My car's this way." Carla said, jutting her thumb behind them.

"I'll be right there." Paige promised. "I just need to talk to her for a bit." She explained, pointing to Emily.

Carla nodded. "It's the red Corvette." She informed Paige before turning her attention to Emily. "I'm sorry. Again."

Emily gave the girl a smile. "It's fine." She said reassuringly.

"Okay then. I'll let you two talk." Carla said, finally giving the two some privacy.

As soon as the girl was out of earshot, Emily turned to Paige. "What are you doing?!" She asked incredulously.

"What are _you_ doing?!" Paige repeated, incensed.

"Are you really gonna go to a college party by yourself on a school night? Paige you barely know the girl! One minute she was trying to get me to go with her, the next she's all over you! You know she just wants to hookup with someone at that party." Emily exclaimed.

"What's wrong with that?" Paige challenged. "I can do whatever I want because unlike you, _I_ don't have a girlfriend. What were you thinking?!" She snapped.

"I tried telling her but she kept interrupting me!" Emily protested.

"Well you should've tried harder!" Paige retorted. She looked past Emily and saw Carla staring at them curiously. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "We are not done talking about this Sniffles." Paige said in a low voice, glaring at Emily before leaving to join Carla.

Emily watched Paige get inside Carla's car, part indignant, part worried. Yeah. She and Paige never got along. But she never considered that Jai's best friend thought she was someone capable of cheating. And that said best friend was being stubborn and stupid enough to go to a college party by herself because she refused to heed Emily's warning. As Carla's red Corvette drove away with Paige inside, Emily groaned in frustration. She didn't realize it until now but Jai's best friend drove her absolutely crazy.

* * *

On Wednesday afternoon, despite the disagreement they had yesterday, Paige found herself standing in front of Emily's house with a backpack, a bouquet of fresh flowers in one hand and a huge paper bag in the other. The last thing she wanted to do today was execute Jai's plan after what happened yesterday afternoon in front of the Brew. Because she had to draw Carla away from Emily, she barely made it back to Lucky Leons before the store closed. Then she ended up staying up all night last night making sure everything was ready and because of that, she wasn't able to run at dawn and this morning before classes started because she came to school late. For someone who made a promise to her coach yesterday that she would improve her times, she wasn't off to a good start.

As if that wasn't bad enough, she spent most of the day avoiding Emily. The second their eyes met earlier that day, she just knew Emily wanted to speak with her. But even though she said they weren't done talking about what she saw outside the Brew, Paige didn't want to continue the argument today. Because today was the one day she didn't bother Jai's girlfriend and if Emily managed to corner her, she knew she was going to ruin the girl's day.

She looked behind her and saw a middle-aged couple pass by, looking at her suspiciously. Paige rolled her eyes, annoyed. They were judging her for merely standing in front of Emily's house with a bouquet of flowers. _I'm not trying to steal her_. She thought, biting her lower lip to keep from saying those words out loud to the couple. She took a deep breath before slowly making her way towards the front porch, choosing at the last second to go around the back instead. The last thing she needed was for people to start talking about her again and if she stayed out front with a bouquet of flowers like a suitor, that's exactly what would happen.

Paige nervously knocked on the kitchen door of Emily's house before checking the time on her watch. She only had a few minutes left to set up everything in Emily's room. She checked the box in her jacket pocket and looked at the bouquet of assorted flowers she held in her hand. Still intact. She was about to knock again when Pam Fields opened the door.

"Paige." Pam said in greeting.

"Um, good afternoon." Paige said politely. "You were expecting me? I mean, Jai said she called you to tell you to expect me?" She clarified nervously. She really wasn't good with moms.

"She did." Pam confirmed, stepping aside to let Paige in. "Although I was expecting you to come by sooner." She added before closing the door behind Paige.

"I know. Sorry about that." Paige said, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "I had track practice." She explained.

Pam nodded. "Well Emily is going to be home soon. Do what you have to do and do it fast." She said graciously.

"Okay." Paige nodded, starting to make her way upstairs towards Emily's room. "I'll be quick." She promised.

Paige bounded the steps two at a time and headed for Emily's room, stopping outside the girl's bedroom once she got there. It felt weird to be on this side of the door. Weirder still to go inside Emily's room when the girl wasn't there. But Jai got Pam to agree to the plan so she had to do this. She quickly opened the door and went inside, choosing to leave the door wide open in case Pam decided to check on her. She placed her backpack and the bouquet by the windowseat and for a while stood in the middle of the room, trying to figure out what to do first. _Streamer_. She finally decided, grabbing the chair by Emily's study table so she can hang the banner a little higher on the girl's wall facing the door since that was the only space that seemed available. Taking off her sneakers, she took the streamer from inside the huge paper bag and unfolded it, piercing the paper with a pushpin before getting up on the chair to hang the streamer.

"Need help?" Pam's voice behind her made Paige turn around. "I think you could use some help hanging that." She said before stepping inside her daughter's room.

"It's fine." Paige answered, giving Pam a small smile. "I don't want to trouble you." She added.

Pam shook her head. "Nonsense. This is for my daughter's birthday. It's no trouble at all." She reassured Paige. "What can I do?"

"Okay. Um, maybe you could hang the other end of the streamer?" Paige finally said, pointing to the other end of the banner which was on top of Emily's bed.

Pam took off her shoes and stepped on her daughter's bed to help Paige hang the other end of the streamer. "I appreciate you doing this for Emily." She said, smiling at Paige. "She's not in the mood to celebrate with Jai in London."

Paige nodded. "I know. I saw her around school today." She said, grateful that Pam was being civil and wasn't giving her a hard time for not getting along with Emily. "But once she gets home tonight, I know this is going to cheer her up. Especially when she finds out Jai planned all of this."

Pam smiled warmly. "Jasmine really loves her. And that girl is just so mature and responsible. I couldn't ask for a better girlfriend for my daughter." She admitted.

"Yeah." Paige said, smiling at Emily's mom. "They're really perfect together." She said quietly.

"So what's next?" Pam asked, taking a peek inside the paper bag Paige brought with her. "Emily might come home soon. I think I better help you with the rest."

Paige nodded. "Okay. Uh, well, how do you feel about blowing up balloons?" She asked hesitantly.

"Do you have a helium tank by any chance?" Pam asked, amused.

"I do." Paige admitted, walking over to her backpack and revealing the small helium tank she brought with her.

Pam laughed in amusement as she took the lightweight tank and the deflated balloons Paige handed to her. "You're a great friend for doing this." She said sincerely. "I got this. You set up the rest."

Paige took the bouquet and walked over to Emily's bed, placing the flowers and the box in the middle of it. She took out a note she wrote earlier and placed it on top of the box. She then made her way to Emily's study table and began to take out of the paper bag the rest of the things she brought with her, arranging the items neatly on the table. She made sure that they were near the girl's laptop, in the order that Jai told her to put them. That done, she looked around the table and saw some Post-It. Taking out a pen from her pocket, she took one and wrote something on it before placing the note in the middle of the laptop screen.

"All done." Paige said, turning around to face Pam.

Pam looked over where she stood and nodded. "Me too." She said, gesturing around the room to show Paige the inflated pastel-colored balloons she scattered on the floor. "We better get out of here then."

Paige moved to get her backpack, folding the paper bag and putting it inside with the now empty tank before following Pam downstairs. Once they were in the living room, Paige stopped in front of the door. "Thank you. For the help up there." She began. "I'm so sorry for the trouble."

Pam shook her head. "Paige it's no trouble at all. That surprise will surely bring a smile to my daughter's lips once she enters her room. So tell Jasmine thank you. For always making my daughter smile." She added.

"I will." Paige promised. "You have a lovely home by the way."

"Thank you. That's nice of you to say." Pam said, touching Paige's back gently. "Your mother raised you well."

Paige smiled tightly. "Thanks." She said, her voice hoarse.

"Be careful out there." Pam reminded her.

Paige nodded. "Goodnight." She said before leaving the warmth of Emily's house.

As she made her way down the cold, empty street, Paige couldn't help but wish she didn't have to leave so soon. She forgot what it felt like to have a mother. And the few minutes she spent with Emily's made her miss her own. But more than that, she wished her mother was someone like Pam Fields.

* * *

"I'm home." Emily called out as she entered the house that night. She was tired from an extra shift at the Brew and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed. It was her birthday and the whole day sucked. Especially since Jai wasn't there to celebrate it with her.

"Sweetie." Pam said once she emerged from the living room, greeting her daughter with a hug. "You look tired." She observed once she pulled back and took a good look at Emily.

"I _am_ tired. I'm not really in the mood to celebrate tonight." Emily said apologetically.

Pam nodded. "That's fine. We can go out to celebrate this weekend instead. But I think you should head to your room. Maybe something there would cheer you up." She hinted.

"Jai." Emily said, barely able to contain her excitement. She kissed her mom on the cheek and quickly bounded the steps up to her room. She opened the door slowly, her hand covering her mouth in pleasant surprise when she saw the banner above her bed which read _Happy Birthday Love!_ Emily entered her room, her eyes taking in the balloons scattered all over the floor, the items lined up near her laptop and the two objects on top of her bed.

Smiling, she hastily made her way towards it and grabbed the note on top of the box. _Open me_. It read. Emily stared at the box and lifted the lid, smiling when she saw the necklace. She ran her hand lightly over the heart-shaped locket before opening it and felt her throat constrict when she saw Jai's face on the other half. She wished Jai was really here so she could kiss her girlfriend.

Looking around the room once again, she finally stood up to check out the things on her study table. She took the note in the middle of her laptop screen. _Call Jai_. It said. She turned on her laptop and stared at the objects beside it, wondering what's up. She quickly connected to the Internet and called Jai via Skype. The moment her girlfriend's face filled the screen, Emily forgot how hard her day was.

"Hey love." Jai said in greeting, smiling widely.

"Jai." Emily said, grinning as she settled in front of her laptop.

"I'm guessing you got my gift and the flowers?" Jai asked as she fixed something on her head.

Emily nodded. "I did." She said, the happiness she felt evident in her voice. "Thank you. Not just for the gift and the flowers. But for doing all of this. You made my day better." She said sincerely.

"I can't exactly take all of the credit on this one." Jai confessed. "The plan was mine but Paige did most of the grunt work there. Told you she's great." She said, grinning.

Emily's smile wavered, suddenly reminded that she hasn't told Jai about the misunderstanding yesterday. She didn't want her girlfriend to be worried. About their relationship and about Paige being stubborn and reckless. That's why she wanted to clear the air with Paige first but the girl kept avoiding her the entire day. Emily mentally shook her head, forcing all thoughts of the incident outside the Brew at the back of her mind. Now is not the time to talk to Jai about it. Focusing on the image of her girlfriend on her laptop screen, she spotted something odd about Jai.

"Wait. What are you wearing?" Emily asked when she finally noticed the thing on top of Jai's head.

"Oh you mean this?" Jai asked, pointing to the conical-shaped thing on her head. "It's a party hat." She supplied, not taking the item off. "Guess where I am." She said, moving away from the webcam so Emily can see behind her.

Emily squinted, noticing something familiar about it. She took in the streamer and the balloons scattered on the floor. "That's... Is that my room?" She asked, looking around her own room in confusion.

Jai laughed. "Well technically it's my room here in London." She began. "But tonight, yeah, it's your room. I tried to recreate it from what I could remember and then I added the streamer and the balloons. Because just for tonight, we're not thousands of miles away." She said softly. "Let's pretend I'm right there. I really wanted to celebrate your birthday with you and this is the only way I know how. Wear your party hat." Jai urged, nodding towards the things on Emily's desk.

Emily chuckled and took the hat, placing it on her head. "I look silly." She said, feeling self-conscious.

"No. You don't. I think you've never looked more beautiful." Jai said tenderly.

Emily felt herself tear up. "What's next?" She asked, looking at the items to her left.

"Party cracker?" Jai asked, grabbing hers.

Emily looked around and saw hers. "Got it. On three?" She asked, grinning.

"On three. One." Jai started.

"Two." Emily continued.

"Three." They said at the same time before pulling the string on their respective party crackers, creating a small popping sound.

"Happy birthday love." Jai said softly.

Emily smiled through her tears. "Even if you're not here… this is my best birthday ever." She admitted. "I miss you so much Jai."

"I miss you too." Jai said, wiping her own tears. "I wish I was really there so I could kiss you."

"Me too." Emily said, trying to smile.

"We can't have the same wish." Jai reprimanded Emily teasingly. "You can make your own."

"How?" Emily asked, curious as to what Jai still had up her sleeve.

"That white box on your table. Open it." Jai instructed. "Don't shake it!" She warned.

Emily took the small box and opened the top carefully, grinning when she saw what was inside. "Mint chocolate chip?" She asked wryly.

"Mint chocolate chip." Jai confirmed as Emily removed the cupcake from inside the box. "I didn't buy one here because I wanted you to have the cake all to yourself. Well, cupcake." She corrected, grinning. "Make a wish." She urged.

Emily looked around the table and saw the birthday candle and the lighter. Sticking the candle in the middle of the cupcake, she lit it and smiled at Jai, making her wish before blowing out the flame.

"So what did you wish for?" Jai asked.

Emily smiled. "I know it sounds ridiculous. But I wished that we could reach our dreams sooner so we could be together. I wish it was ten years from now." She said quietly.

* * *

"Good work out there today, Paige." Coach Reilly said as the girl walked over to her.

"Did I manage to get my time down?" Paige asked breathlessly, gathering her hair up and wiping the sweat off the back of her neck.

"Almost." Coach Reilly admitted. "We'll try again next week." She said encouragingly. "We're done for the day."

Paige nodded, hiding her disappointment. "Is it okay if I run one more lap?" She asked as she bent over to grab the water bottle from her duffel bag on the ground.

"Yeah. Just don't strain yourself too much." Coach Reilly reminded Paige before making her way back to the locker room.

Paige exhaled, lifting the lid of the water bottle and taking a quick drink. When she was done, she crouched to return the bottle inside her duffel bag before fixing the shoelaces of her running shoes. "What are you doing here?" Paige asked impassively when a pair of black mid high boots stopped in front of her.

"I need to talk to you." Emily answered timidly from above her.

"About what?" Paige asked, standing up and glancing at the necklace on Emily's neck before meeting the girl's gaze.

"About what you did." Emily began but Paige interrupted her.

"You're still hung up on that whole college party thing?" Paige asked, annoyed. "I know I'm not as smart as Jai but I'm not stupid. I didn't go to that party Sniffles. If I did I wouldn't have been able to do all those things Jai asked me to do." She rationalized, not giving Emily a chance to say anything. "That girl wasn't gonna leave either of us alone unless one of us came with her and I have far better things to do than listen to her rebuff every excuse we could think of."

"Oh." Emily uttered, briefly forgetting why she wanted to talk to Paige. "That's good to know." She admitted, playing with the locket nervously. "But I didn't come here to talk to you about that. I actually came by to say thanks."

After the private party Jai threw for her last night, Emily finally told her girlfriend what happened outside the Brew. About Carla and Paige seeing the whole thing. She didn't want Jai's best friend to be the one to tell her girlfriend about what she saw. She didn't trust that Paige wouldn't make it sound worse and she didn't want Jai to worry.

"Thanks?" Paige asked, trying to figure out what Emily was actually thanking her for. She hasn't talked to Jai since their conversation last Saturday and even if she did answer her best friend's call, she wasn't going to tell Jai about Carla. That was something she wanted to talk about with Emily first. The last thing Jai needed when she was thousands of miles away was to worry about her relationship when Paige didn't even know the whole story.

"Yeah. For helping Jai with the whole party thing. If there's anything I can do..." Emily offered.

"There is." Paige interjected.

"What?" Emily asked, for some reason nervous.

"Remember that you have a serious girlfriend." Paige said sternly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emily asked, giving Paige a challenging look.

"It means I promised Jai I'd look after you. But it doesn't mean I'm gonna stop looking after her. The next time a girl comes up to you to ask for your number or to give you hers, learn to say no. You're not the only one having a hard time. We're _all_… having a hard time. You're not the only one who's in a long-distance relationship. My best friend is thousands of miles away. Alone. At least you still have your friends. The least you could do is let girls know you're taken." Paige rambled on, finally getting to say what she wanted to say to the girl since Tuesday afternoon. "I can't keep coming to your rescue Sniffles."

"And you don't need to. Paige I'm not gonna cheat on Jai. I love her." Emily insisted.

"So do I. Remember that the next time a girl comes up to you." Paige said quietly before walking past Emily and breaking into a run.


	3. mutantur : chapter iii

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

_**Again, thanks for the reviews and for having the patience to read my lengthy chapters. Let me reiterate that though I want to answer your questions right now, I can't. It would ruin the story's... element of surprise so to speak. I know all of you want to find out what Paige is suffering from. And maybe as the story progresses most of you would have an idea. But in case you don't, I will say it now. You guys will find out everything about it the same time Emily does... when Paige decides to reveal it to her. Which will be in Part Four... so yeah... I need you all to be EXTREMELY patient with this story. ;-)**_

_**iowahawx and shokoshik... Thanks for the PM.**_

_**AliasThorne... Thanks for the PM and the help.**_

* * *

**PART ONE: "Mutantur Omnia Nos Et Mutamur In Illis"**

_~ All things change, and we change with them. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE**

"Hello? Paige? Are you still there?" Jai's voice from the other end of the line jolted Paige awake. Lifting her head from the study table, she looked around to try and find the cordless phone amidst the clutter of books and papers on her desk.

"I'm here. I'm here." Paige said hurriedly through the mouthpiece once she found the phone.

"Did you fall asleep or something?" Jai asked, half amused, half worried. "I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes."

"Sorry. I didn't fall asleep. I was just looking for my pen. It rolled off my desk and under my bed." Paige lied. "But everything's fine. I found it." She said, tapping a pen she found on her desk for effect. "So what were you saying?"

It was a Saturday and after another tension-filled breakfast with Emily at the Hayes household that morning, Paige headed straight home and decided to stop putting off the inevitable. She needed to start working on her college application to UPenn and she was thinking of ways to increase her extracurricular activities at school. She willed her brain to function but her body was protesting. It was finally craving the sleep that has eluded her since Jai left and Paige forced herself to stay awake, knowing her best friend will make a fuss if she found out Paige's insomnia was returning. Because like her, Jai also knew the warning signs.

"I said Emily told me about the whole Carla thing last week." Jai repeated. "I wanted to let you know that we talked about it already in case you were thinking of pulling an Edward Hyde on her. She wasn't doing anything wrong."

"Hyde of Jekyll and Hyde fame? Seriously?" Paige said, shaking her head. "You know you're really starting to hurt my feelings. You make it sound like I'm a monster." She joked, hoping her best friend won't figure out what she did but Jai knew her all too well.

"Paige?" Jai uttered suspiciously.

"What?" Paige asked, trying to hide her guilt.

"I'm too late aren't I? You already bit my girlfriend's head off!" Jai said accusingly. "Paige!"

"I was just looking out for you! I didn't realize until recently just how serious you are about her." Paige explained, immediately caving in. "I just don't want you to lose her."

"I appreciate you looking out for me. But you don't need to. I know how serious she is about me. I trust her." Jai said firmly. "Apologize, okay?"

"But..." Paige protested.

"Please?" Jai pleaded.

Paige exhaled. "Fine." She said reluctantly, mentally adding it to the list of things she's yet to apologize for.

"Thank you." Jai said sincerely. "So what are you up to today?"

"College application." Paige answered vaguely, letting Jai think she's talking about USC.

"Coach Reilly came through?" Jai asked.

"Yeah. She called the recruiter from USC and convinced him to come to the meet next week." Paige replied.

"That's great. I'm sure you're gonna get offered a scholarship." Jai said confidently. "Especially when they've seen you run before."

"I really hope so." Paige said, staring at the UPenn brochure in front of her.

"Is that the reason why you sound so tired?" Jai suddenly asked.

"That obvious, huh?" Paige admitted.

"Yeah." Jai answered. "So. Tell me why you're so tired."

Paige kept silent for a moment, contemplating what to tell her friend. She took a deep breath and finally told Jai what she's been up to since her best friend left, conveniently leaving out the part about her recent visit to the guidance office and the possibility of getting into UPenn. The last thing she needed was another person telling her to "think about it".

"So basically you're tired because you've been running every morning and afternoon." Jai concluded after hearing her best friend's explanation.

"Trying to improve my times." Paige added. "I've managed to do it but I'm telling you this college thing is stressing the hell out of me." She said as she slowly leaned backward and balanced the chair she was occupying on its hind legs.

"Hang in there." Jai said, trying to encourage her best friend despite the worry that was evident in her voice. "And listen, I know how much USC means to you. I want you to be able to go there too. But not if it meant you'd be this stressed out. Like you said, there are other schools out there if USC doesn't pan out for you." She reminded her friend.

Paige closed her eyes, exhausted. "I know. But I'll only consider those schools once I know for sure that I have no shot of getting in. USC is it for me. Kinda like UPenn is it for you and your girlfriend." She explained.

"How's Em doing by the way?" Jai asked, bringing the conversation back to her girlfriend.

"You've talked to her everyday. You know how she's doing." Paige answered, opening her eyes and getting up from the chair.

"Yeah but you're the one spending time together. I mean you are, right?" Jai asked cautiously.

"Occasionally." Paige said, sitting down on the edge of her bed this time. "Don't worry. Despite the Edward Hyde move I pulled, I'm keeping my promise. She's fine."

"Are her times improving?" Jai asked. "I mean, after you got her to start running with you every morning?"

"Yeah. It definitely helped. Just a little more push and she will beat the hell out of the other swimmers easily." Paige said confidently.

"Of course she will." Paige heard the pride in Jai's voice. "Thanks for pushing her to work hard. If you need any help just ask her. I'm sure she'll be willing to help you out." Jai reassured her.

_I seriously doubt that_. "I will." Paige said, lying so as not to worry her best friend. "Enough about me. How's the internship going?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Good." Jai answered. "It's mostly research work but it's really fascinating."

Paige heard something in Jai's voice but before she could figure out what it was, her friend spoke up again. "Crap. I didn't notice the time. Good thing you mentioned the internship. I gotta go. I have a meeting with the department head. I'll call you again next weekend." Jai said, finally getting used to Paige taking her calls on a Saturday.

"Okay." Paige said absentmindedly, still trying to figure out what she heard.

Once Jai ended the call, Paige stood up and walked over to her study table, returning the handset to its cradle but her eyes kept glued to the phone. She didn't know why it bothered her but she was certain that Jai was hiding something from her.

* * *

"We're still on for the campus tour at UPenn this month, right?" Emily asked Spencer as she leaned on the locker beside her friend's.

Spencer took out the books she would need for her morning classes and shook her head. "Uh, no. I checked and it turns out it's not until November. But it's fine. I'm still working on the list of students who are interested in taking the tour with us anyway. We need at least twenty before I can ask Principal Lewis to request the group tour." She explained.

"You're the student council president. Just mention it in one of our general assembly meetings." Emily suggested.

"I will." Spencer said, checking if she forgot anything else before closing the door of her locker and facing her friend. "That reminds me. The budget's finally been approved for the annual trick or treat. I just need the finalized details of that particular activity. Where the kids will be coming from, number of volunteers. The flow of the activity for the entire night basically." She reminded Emily.

Emily nodded as they began to make their way towards their respective classes. "I know. I'm almost done with it. I could give it to you tomorrow morning at the latest." She reassured Spencer. "Sorry it's taking me this long. I'm a little short on dependable members this year."

Spencer laughed. "I think most of them chose your committee just to spend time with you." She teased her friend.

"Well I don't mind the attention." Emily admitted. "I just wish they could multitask. You know, find it in between stolen glances to actually make an effort to do their jobs?"

"I could just imagine Paige's reaction once she finds out that most of the girls in your committee have a crush on you. She would be in sentinel duty twenty-four seven." Spencer declared, shaking her head.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Don't remind me. I have enough problems as it is. The last thing I need is my girlfriend's overprotective best friend watching me like a hawk." She complained.

"Well you're not the only one with problems when it comes to their committee. Connor came up to me the other day and asked if he could limit the members of his committee to _two_." Spencer said as they rounded a corner.

"Why? Is there someone stealing funds from the budget committee?" Emily asked, concerned.

Spencer shook her head. "He said the girls in his committee kept sidling up to him and finding excuses to spend time alone with him. He's starting to feel harassed." She said, her laughter mixing with Emily's. "Of course I said no. He needs all the help he can get."

"Poor Connor." Emily said sympathetically.

"Poor Connor? Trust me Em, that guy doesn't need your sympathy. I mean, have you seen his abs? Those babies can cut through diamonds." Spencer said, stopping by the door just outside of her class.

"Uh, I hardly pay attention to his body Spence." Emily said, smiling as she moved forward a little before turning around to face her friend.

"That's probably a good thing too. Just imagine if Paige found out you've noticed Connor." Spencer teased, laughing when her friend rolled her eyes again.

"Spencer." The sound of Paige's voice behind her made Emily groan inwardly as she turned around and watched the girl amble towards them.

"Speak of the devil." Spencer muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Emily to hear.

Paige slowly approached the two girls, glancing at Emily briefly before focusing her attention on the other girl. Last night she finally realized the answer to her predicament regarding UPenn and it was an answer she regretted coming up with. Spencer Hastings. Student council president. One of Emily's best friends. Perfect. Asking for the girl's help will be piece of cake. Like walking barefooted leisurely across hot coals under the scorching heat of the sun.

"I think I'm gonna go." Emily said quietly to her friend, walking past Paige without so much as a glance.

Spencer watched her friend disappear into one of the rooms down the hall before reluctantly shifting her attention to Paige. "What do you want? I don't have time for you and your stupid antics." She warned the girl as she moved away from the entrance so other students can get inside the room.

"O-kay." Paige said under her breath. This conversation was going to be more like rolling around naked repeatedly in those hot coals. "You're the student council president." She began.

"Yeah." Spencer said in a tone that seemed like it wasn't supposed to be news.

Paige decided to ignore it and forged ahead. "You know, when Jai was president last year she and the student council had these activities planned out. Year-round. Every month there's an activity." She continued.

"I know. I was VP." Spencer reminded the girl. "What's your point?"

"I just want to know the activities you've lined up for the entire school year." Paige casually said.

"Why?" Spencer inquired suspiciously.

"Maybe I could help out." Paige offered.

Spencer's eyes widened in surprise. "No." She answered, shaking her head firmly.

"At least pretend you thought about it before saying no." Paige said wryly.

"I don't need to. The answer's no." Spencer repeated.

"What? Come on! I'm dependable." Paige reasoned out.

"Yeah right." Spencer retorted.

Paige sighed. "Set aside your dislike towards me for making your friend's life miserable." She asked.

"That's an understatement." Spencer said sarcastically.

"I'm asking as a student. Not as a friend which I'm clearly not." Paige persisted.

Spencer narrowed her eyes. "Why do you want to be involved? Emily's the social chair this year." She said slowly. "Are you doing this to keep an eye on her? Because that needs to stop Paige. You need to stay out of her and Jai's relationship. Jai asked you to look after her. That doesn't include giving her a hard time for talking to other girls. It doesn't bother Jai. It shouldn't bother you."

"What? This isn't even about that." Paige said, managing to hide her annoyance. "I know she's the social chair. But you're the president. I figured I'd talk to you directly." She explained.

"Well if you want to be involved with the student council's activities she's the person you need to talk to." Spencer stated.

Paige groaned inwardly. She knew that. Somewhere at the back of her mind she did. But she was hoping it wouldn't come down to that. "Thanks anyway." She said, turning her back to leave.

"You know, Emily isn't awful like you." Spencer called out after Paige, making the girl stop in her tracks. "She's actually capable of compassion. Swallow your pride and talk to her. If you need this to get into a good college she just might help you out." She said before heading inside the room and closing the door behind her.

* * *

Emily neatly folded the wet towel she just used and placed it inside her duffel bag with the rest of her things. She looked inside her locker to check one last time if she left anything before closing it. Swim practice was done for the day and because she decided to swim a few more laps after everyone had gotten out of the pool, she was the last to leave the locker room. Pulling the zipper of her bag, she slung the strap on her shoulder and was about to leave when she heard movement coming from Coach Fulton's office. A few seconds later, Paige emerged and their eyes met briefly before Emily looked away, heading for the exit.

"Wait." Paige called out, hurrying to catch up to Emily. _It's now or never_.

Emily reluctantly turned around. "What is it?" She asked, studying Paige warily.

Paige swallowed hard. "I was wondering if I could ask a favor." She said, getting straight to the point as she placed her hands inside the front pockets of her jeans.

Emily's eyebrow rose. "Seriously?" She asked, incredulous. "Just like that. You expect me to help you after you practically accused me of thinking about cheating on Jai."

"Look. I know you want to hear an apology from me. But I'm not gonna give it to you now." Paige admitted.

"Why?" Emily asked.

"Because. You and I both know I won't mean it." Paige explained. "I would be apologizing to you because I need a favor. Not because I was willing to admit I was wrong. So you choose. I can apologize now or some other time. When I actually mean it."

Emily sighed. "What's the favor?" She finally asked, choosing to hear a sincere apology from the girl someday.

"You're the social chair this year." Paige began.

"Yeah." Emily said, patiently waiting for Paige to get to the point.

"I was wondering if I could maybe help out in a few of the student council's school activities this year. Join the social committee." Paige clarified.

"Why?" Emily asked cautiously. "Is this your way of keeping an eye on me?"

Paige shook her head. "Not at all. It's for my college application." She explained. "I'm all set to go to USC but I've been cornered about this other school and the only way for me to get out of it is if I try to actually get into it."

"I can't help you." Emily said hurriedly.

Paige's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wait, why? You're the social chair. You can call the shots." She reminded the girl.

"Yeah. That's exactly what I'm doing. I need people I can depend on." Emily explained.

"I'm dependable." Paige said.

"Do you really expect me to just take your word for it?" Emily asked, the disbelief evident in her voice.

"Come on. Give me a shot." Paige insisted. "Start with something small. Like asking me to read to kids or something. I can even teach them stuff. I'm good with kids."

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna teach them? How to be a bully and make fun of people?" Emily asked sarcastically.

Paige's jaw dropped. "Okay I totally deserved that." She said after a beat, impressed by the girl's witty reply that she felt a smile tug on the corner of her lips. "But I promise I won't let you down. Come on." She pleaded.

Emily shook her head firmly. "I'm sorry. I just can't risk it." She said apologetically.

Paige bit her lower lip then nodded. She really can't do anything to change the girl's mind. "Okay. I understand." She said, backing away. "Thanks anyway." _Well that was a waste of time._ She thought as she checked her watch. And now she's running late for her appointment. _Crap_. She hurriedly walked past Emily and left the locker room, her mind trying to think of ways she can get into UPenn now that her extracurricular activities weren't enough. This whole college thing was really stressing the hell out of her and she had a feeling she was about to start losing sleep even more.

* * *

Emily clicked the print button on the screen and stood back to watch the report she just finished for Spencer come out of the printer, feeling a sense of accomplishment. She was well on her way to spearheading her first activity as social chair and she was excited about it. When the last page finally came out of the printer, she turned it off and shutdown her laptop. Emily scanned the report, satisfied with her work. She suddenly smiled when she heard her phone ring. _Just in time_. She thought as she settled on her bed and answered it. "Hey love." Emily said without checking who's calling.

"Hey." Jai said in greeting. "You sound happy."

"Well talking to you is the best part of my day." Emily said, grinning. "Well that and I'm about to launch my first activity as social chair this year."

"That's great. I'm so proud of you Em." Jai said sincerely. "It's the trick or treat thing, right?"

"Yeah. The annual trick or treat by the end of the month. But this year I proposed that we take kids coming from hospitals and orphanages trick or treating for one night instead of the usual neighborhood kids." Emily explained.

"That sounds like a good idea. And I'm not surprised you came up with it." Jai admitted, impressed.

Emily smiled. "Thanks. But it hasn't been put into motion yet. The budget committee just approved my proposal and I need to submit to Spencer the finalized details of the activity. Then I'm going to start asking the members of the social committee to go around Rosewood to get volunteers to sign up for it, while I call the hospitals and orphanages to ask for their permission to let some of the kids go trick or treating for one night." She rambled on.

"It's well thought out." Jai began. "Although I think you should call the institutions first before you start asking people to volunteer. Most hospitals and orphanages are strict about these kinds of things." She reminded her girlfriend. "You might end up having more volunteers than kids."

"Are you sure about that?" Emily asked, suddenly unsure about her plan.

"Yeah. But don't worry. I'll ask my dad to talk to the other board members and doctors at Rosewood Gen." Jai offered. "Penn State Gen is too far from Rosewood though so I doubt he'll agree to convince the board there."

"You don't have to do that. I'm sure I can convince them myself." Emily said hurriedly.

"It's not a big deal Em. At least you'll have one institution that's in the bag for this one." Jai explained.

Emily bit her bottom lip, hesitant. She really wanted to do things on her own for a change but on the other hand... it wouldn't hurt to have one sure institution this early on. "Okay. Thanks Jai." Emily said quietly, mentally crossing out Rosewood Gen.

"You know, you can ask Paige to help with the sign-up sheet thing." Jai reminded her girlfriend. "Or she can be one of the student volunteers. Take the kids out trick or treating."

"I don't know. Is she good with kids?" Emily asked, still reluctant to let Paige anywhere near the activity.

"Paige? Yeah. She's been reading to kids at the daycare center downtown since we were freshmen." Jai revealed.

"She does? Is that where she goes off to every afternoon?" Emily asked, suddenly curious about Paige's activities outside of school.

"Uh, yeah." Jai answered after a beat. "Paige has a soft spot for kids. Trust me. She'd be more than willing to help you out."

"Oh. Okay." Emily said absentmindedly.

"Speaking of." Jai began. "Is there something going on with her? When I talked to her last Saturday she sounded exhausted."

"Well what did she say when you asked her about it?" Emily inquired. Though she and Paige were still somewhat in a middle of a fight, she didn't want to accidentally tell Jai something Paige hasn't.

"That everything's fine. She's just tired because she's pushing herself too hard to impress that scout from USC that's coming to see her." Jai answered.

"She really likes that school." Emily observed.

Jai chuckled. "Like? I think love is the better term. She refused to consider other schools." She admitted. "Like she pointedly ignores them."

"Really?" Emily asked, now confused as to why Paige didn't tell Jai about the other school and that it was the real reason she seemed so stressed out.

"Paige said running every morning improved your times in swimming." Jai said.

"It's every other day actually. But yeah, my times are improving." Emily admitted reluctantly.

"That's great Em. I'm glad Paige is looking after you like she promised." Jai said, relieved.

"Yeah." Emily muttered, suddenly feeling guilty. She wasn't keeping her end of the deal.

"So how is she? I feel as if she's not telling me anything." Jai admitted.

"Jai it's not like she talks to me either." Emily said wryly. "We can barely tolerate each other."

"I know. But you see her around. Does she seem fine?" Jai asked, now sounding worried.

"Yeah. She's still calling me Sniffles every chance she gets and managing to get on my nerves everytime. Nothing's out of the ordinary." Emily affirmed.

"She does that a lot. Mislead people. But you have to look closer." Jai warned her.

"You're really worried about her." Emily said, detecting the anxiety in Jai's voice.

"I am." Jai said, heaving a sigh.

"Don't be." Emily said firmly. "Don't worry about us too much. Focus on your internship so you can come home to me soon."

"Well when you put it that way..." Jai trailed off.

"Trust me. I'm looking after her. I know how important she is to you." Emily said earnestly.

"You're both important." Jai corrected.

"I know. Okay enough about us. Tell me how your internship is going." Emily urged as she settled on her bed and turned off the bedside lamp, looking forward to spending the rest of the night talking to Jai until she falls asleep.

* * *

Paige looked around her as she stood by the sidelines, nervous about today's meet. The stands were at seating capacity and her body is buzzing with anticipation. Between racking her brain for other ways to have more extracurricular activities at school now that Emily and Spencer refused to help her, and trying to keep her grades up, she somehow managed to get her times down in a matter of two weeks and she had a good feeling about today. Now if only she could see that familiar cap and jacket of the Trojans, her day would be complete, but so far, no sign of it. She turned her back to the stands and decided to focus on warming up instead, trying to concentrate on the meet.

"There she is." A familiar booming voice behind her made Paige turn around in surprise. _It can't be_. She thought, but felt herself smile when she saw the familiar Cardinal and Gold colors. "Hey kiddo." The man said, approaching her.

"Adam." Paige said in greeting. "You're the scout?" She asked, smiling as she shook her head.

Adam nodded. "How's your dad?" He inquired, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"He's doing well." Paige answered. "He couldn't make it today though. He had to fly to California for an emergency business meeting."

"That's too bad. I was hoping we could talk after the meet. Catch up." Adam admitted, looking around. "But it's good to hear that he's doing well." He said, smiling as he looked at Paige once again.

"So you're here to watch me?" Paige asked, suddenly getting nervous. It's been a while since Adam Grant saw her run and she didn't want to disappoint him.

"Formalities. I've been keeping my eye on you for years. You should've just waited for my call kiddo." Adam reprimanded Paige lightly.

"I wasn't sure you'd remember." Paige admitted sheepishly.

"Paige it wasn't too long ago. And even if it was, I'd definitely remember." Adam reassured her. "Still, since I'm here, I guess it wouldn't hurt to see how much you've improved."

"Now you're making me really nervous." Paige said, her heart starting to pound.

"Don't be. Just show me that girl I saw run when she was twelve then we'll talk after." Adam said encouragingly.

"Okay." Paige answered, managing a small smile.

"I'll see you at the finish line." Adam said, nodding. "Good luck out there."

* * *

"Hey." Paige was so preoccupied with thoughts of college applications and her performance at the track meet last week that when she heard Emily's voice beside her, she jumped back in surprise, dropping her books and everything else she was holding on the floor.

"Damn it don't do that Sniffles!" Paige exclaimed, turning to her left to face Emily. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack or something?!"

"Don't you need a heart for that to happen?" Emily shot back, not bothering to hide her amusement at seeing Paige so flustered. She bit back a grin. "Sorry." She said as an afterthought, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice but the girl heard it.

Paige rolled her eyes. "No you're not." She said wryly before crouching to pick up her things.

Emily was about to help Paige when she saw the UPenn brochures lying on top of some books inside the girl's locker and instead picked it up, feeling a sense of dread.

"You're applying to UPenn?" Emily asked, praying the girl would say no.

Paige stood up and stared at the brochures in Emily's hand. "Believe me. I am as excited about the whole process as you." She said before taking the brochures and depositing it in her locker, shutting the door with more force than she intended. She turned her back to Emily to start making her way towards her class.

Emily felt conflicted. She wanted to start keeping the promise she made to Jai about looking after Paige and she thought she could start by helping the girl get into the college she was being cornered to apply to. But now that she found out the school in question was UPenn, she wanted to back out. Helping Paige get into UPenn is like saying she enjoyed being called Sniffles and being made fun of every chance the girl gets so much so that she's looking forward to four more years of it in college. She sighed. _I'm sure I'm gonna regret this later. _She thought before hurrying after Paige.

"Wait!" Emily said as she stepped beside the girl. "About that."

"About what?" Paige asked as she kept on walking, not looking at Emily.

"Your college application to UPenn. You still need my help in the extracurricular activities part, right?" Emily asked.

"Help is such a strong word." Paige said, refusing to admit the truth.

"So is please." Emily added.

"You want me to beg?" Paige asked, knowing Emily was enjoying the whole thing.

"It wouldn't hurt." Emily admitted.

Paige stopped walking and turned to face Emily. If she had known senior year would be this stressful she would've just gotten a GED even if she would have to listen to her dad give her a lecture everyday. She had things figured out since she was a freshman. USC. That's it. Now because of that stupid guidance counselor telling her she could get into UPenn, she had to consider going to college in Pennsylvania and it sucked. But if she didn't start doing something to try and get in, she wouldn't hear the end of it with her dad.

Paige heaved a sigh. "Please help me nail the extracurricular activities in my college application into UPenn." She said monotonously.

"That's the best you could do?" Emily asked, amused.

Paige shrugged. "It's all I've got." She said.

"Fine. I'll take it." Emily said, slightly satisfied. "Consider this your initiation into the social committee. I need additional help with the annual trick or treating. All you have to do is go around town, knock on people's doors and ask them if they'd like to volunteer. Then make them sign here." She said, giving Paige a sign-up sheet. "Can you do that?"

"Knock on people's doors? Yeah." Paige said, trying to control her sarcasm.

"I meant ask them to sign up for this. You need to be nice. Ask them to volunteer, not bully them into participating." Emily clarified.

"I can be nice." Paige insisted as she stared at the piece of paper she held in her hand. She wasn't really keen on knocking on people's doors but she had to start somewhere. "How many kids will go trick or treating?"

"Give or take a hundred. I figured three to five kids per person are just about right." Emily explained.

Paige nodded. "Okay. I'll get right on it." She said before tucking the piece of paper in between her books. She was about to head to her class when Emily called after her.

"Paige." Emily called out.

"Yeah?" Paige asked, turning around to face Emily once again.

"I know you're not really looking forward to getting into UPenn. I'm not either. I'd rather you go to USC. I don't even know why you're doing this. But I need to get accepted. Don't screw this up for me." Emily warned before leaving Paige.

* * *

"You're letting her help?" Spencer asked Emily, surprised.

When the bell rang earlier signaling it was time for lunch, Emily immediately texted her friends, telling them to meet her at the courtyard instead of their usual spot inside the cafeteria. She needed a relatively quiet place to tell them about her decision to help Paige and her misgivings about it, hoping they would find a way to calm her nerves.

"I know. Don't remind me." Emily said, stifling a groan as she settled on the chair next to Hanna and placed her tray of food on the table. "I'm nervous enough as it is but I did promise Jai I'd look after Paige and so far I'm doing a bad job of it."

"It's like asking for four more years of torture. _If_ she gets in." Aria added before taking a bite of her apple.

Emily nodded glumly. "I know. I thought about that too. But it's weird." She admitted.

"What's weird?" Hanna asked as she unscrewed the cap of her bottled water.

"She didn't tell Jai about it. It's like she's keeping this thing a secret. She said she was being cornered into applying and the only way to get out of it is if she actually tried to get in." Emily explained.

"So she doesn't really want to go there." Spencer said, now understanding why her friend was so worried.

Emily nodded. "She's set on going to USC. That's why I'm so nervous. If she screws up there goes my plan of going to college with Jai. And since she isn't really invested on getting in, she could just say that she tried but it didn't work out and she gets to ride off to USC while I'm stuck being in a long-distance relationship with my girlfriend." She said, losing her appetite due to her nerves.

"I can keep an eye on her if you want." Hanna offered after a beat. "I can come with her with the whole sign-up sheet thing. Make sure she does get people to sign and not just write down imaginary names."

"Are you sure?" Emily asked, turning slightly to face her friend.

"Yeah. I can tolerate her." Hanna said reassuringly.

"Okay. I'll tell her you're coming with her." Emily said, smiling at her friend gratefully.

* * *

"So technically you're giving me a babysitter." Paige said incredulously as she and Emily stood in front of each other in the locker room before swim practice that afternoon.

"No. Technically I'm getting you help." Emily corrected, standing her ground as she anticipated the girl's reaction to her sudden change of plans.

"_Really_. Are the other members of your committee getting such special treatment from you as well?" Paige asked sarcastically.

"They don't need help. They have people skills. Unlike you." Emily stated.

Paige scoffed. "How can she be of help when she just stands beside me doing nothing everytime I knock on a door?! If you told me that she's going to take half of the number of people I need to get to sign up, that's called helping. But if you tell me she's gonna be standing beside me while I go around town knocking on doors, that's babysitting!" She exclaimed, indignant.

"Well she's my friend and I trust her not to screw this up for me." Emily reasoned out.

"I'm not gonna screw you over! I need to get accepted too." Paige reminded the girl.

"Let Hanna come with you or you're out." Emily insisted.

Paige conceded. "Fine. Tell her to meet me tonight outside the Grille." She said, having no choice but to agree to what Emily wanted since the girl didn't trust her.

"Tonight?" Emily asked, confused. "Isn't that kinda late? Isn't it better if you start after swim practice?"

"Well I have something to do first and I won't be free until around seven." Paige explained.

"Okay. I'll tell her." Emily said. "You better not make her wait." She added, ignoring the look of annoyance that crossed Paige's features as they exited the locker room and headed for the pool.

* * *

Paige nervously knocked on the door of the first house she and Hanna decided to try, practicing in her head what she was about to say. When the door finally opened and a middle-aged woman stood in front of them, Paige put on a smile.

"Hi. Good evening. My name is Paige McCullers and this is Hanna Marin. We go to Rosewood High and if you could spare us a few minutes of your time we'd just like to ask you a few questions." Paige said politely.

Upon hearing her name, the woman's expression turned from interest to one of pity. It was a look Paige thought she'd never see again but apparently the residents of Rosewood never forget.

"My roast beef is still cooking in the oven so I guess I could spare a few." The woman said, glancing briefly at Hanna but focusing her attention on Paige, making the girl feel uncomfortable.

"Thank you." Paige managed to say. "So as a resident of Rosewood I'm sure you're familiar with the annual trick or treating our school hosts for kids." She continued, refusing to let the woman's piercing stare derail her from her purpose for being there.

"Yes." The woman answered, nodding.

"Have you tried volunteering to take some of the kids trick or treating in the past?" Paige asked.

"Not really." The woman said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, seemingly knowing what's about to come.

"Do you think we can ask you to try this year? It's a lot of fun and it's at most just five kids per person." Paige explained.

The woman smiled ruefully. "I have two kids and it's a handful. I don't think I can manage five especially if they're in costumes and on a sugar rush." She admitted.

Paige tried to rack her brain for an answer to that but came up empty. She was about to thank the woman for taking the time to talk to them when Hanna suddenly spoke up.

"We forgot to mention that these kids are from the oncology ward in the Rosewood General Hospital. This year our school decided to change things a bit." Hanna explained. "Taking these kids trick or treating will get their minds off their illness. Give them a chance to feel normal even if it's just one night. I'm sure you can spare a few hours to take those kids around town in your minivan." She said, subtly bringing up the fact that she and Paige saw the vehicle the woman owned that's why they decided to try her house first.

"They're sick?" The woman asked, now seemingly sympathetic.

Hanna nodded. "Most of them are terminal and we want to do something nice for them before they lose their battle with their illness." She admitted.

Paige bit her tongue to keep from saying anything. Hanna was flat-out lying. And even if it's true, after all Emily didn't say anything about where the kids will be coming from, it's not right to use their illness to get someone to volunteer. Those kids aren't to be pitied but to be admired.

"I guess I could spare a few hours with them." The woman finally said. "If I was a parent of one of those kids it'd feel good knowing someone out there was willing to spare a few hours of their time just to make my kid smile."

"Exactly." Hanna said, giving the woman a winning smile of her own.

"Where do I sign?" The woman asked.

"Right here." Hanna said, taking the clipboard and pen from Paige and handing it to the woman. "Thank you so much." She said after the woman signed her name on the sheet.

"No problem. You girls have a good night." The woman said, smiling at them.

"You too." Hanna managed to say before the woman closed the door. She turned around and made her way back towards the street, not waiting for Paige to join her. When she felt the girl finally caught up to her, she spoke up. "You're welcome by the way." Hanna said, rolling her eyes at Paige as they began making their way towards the next house. "You froze back there. You have to learn how to get them to say yes to you." She lectured.

"By lying?" Paige asked, not bothering to hide her opinion regarding the matter. "I think I'll pass."

"We got her to volunteer didn't we? And I didn't exactly lie. Emily's plan for trick or treating this year is different. She's talking to hospitals and orphanages to get the kids there to go trick or treating for a few hours. With their supervision of course." Hanna explained.

"Still doesn't make it right." Paige insisted. "You used their illness to twist the arm of that woman to say yes."

"What's wrong with that? They _are_ sick." Hanna reminded Paige.

"They don't need your pity. They're admirable for fighting their illness." Paige stated.

"Jeez Paige, unclench. Why are you so gung ho about this? I'm not saying they're pitiful for being sick. I just mentioned they were sick to get that woman to volunteer." Hanna defended.

"If she said no there are other people we can ask. You didn't have to play on her emotions like that." Paige reminded the girl.

Hanna stopped walking and faced Paige, fed up with the girl's holier-than-thou attitude. "What's your problem?! I'm trying to help you." She snapped.

"You're trying to help your friend." Paige corrected.

"By helping you." Hanna insisted. "Look, it's not like I butted in when you were making your boring sales pitch. I just stepped in to save your ass when you froze back there." When Paige didn't say anything, she continued. "Do your thing. But if you can't convince them I'm gonna do _my_ thing. That's how it's going to be. So if you want me to stop lying improve your sales pitch." She said before heading for the next house, smiling because she was able to render the girl speechless for a second.

* * *

Emily crossed out yet another name of an orphanage, starting to feel as if she's about to indeed have more volunteers than kids in this year's trick or treat. She really wanted things to go smoothly. But with the way things are going, her first activity as social chair might disappoint a lot of people. She was contemplating which of the remaining six institutions she was going to call first when she heard the door to the student council office open and close. When she looked up to see who it was, she stifled a groan.

"Can I do something else?" Paige's grouchy tone made Emily rest her head on her hands. As if she didn't have enough problems as it is, Jai's best friend just walked through the door complaining about the responsibility she gave her.

"Figured you were gonna give up sooner or later." Emily said once she forced her eyes to meet Paige's.

"I'm not giving up." Paige said hurriedly. "But your friend and I have different ways of making people volunteer for this thing and I want out." She explained.

"Why?" Emily asked, annoyed.

"I don't want to make people volunteer out of pity. I want them to say yes because they genuinely care about the kids and your friend is playing the sick card everytime someone tells me no." Paige admitted. "I'm all for helping you make this event a successful one. I want the kids to have fun. But I don't want them to be hauled all over town by adults who keep looking at them with pity." She said with so much sincerity that Emily felt as if she was looking at a different person.

When Emily didn't say anything, Paige walked over to her and looked at the list of institutions Emily wrote on a piece of paper. "You need help getting those hospitals and orphanages to agree to take the kids trick or treating for one night?" She asked when she noticed the crossed out names, realizing that Emily is dealing with a much bigger problem.

Emily looked up at Paige. "No offense but if you can't convince an ordinary individual to say yes to you, what makes you think you can convince an authority figure to allow you to take the kids out for one night?" She asked, trying to hide the list from Paige.

"I have my ways." Paige answered vaguely. "Judging from the number of names you've crossed out you need my help. Come on. We'll split the rest. I'll take three you take three." She offered.

Emily studied Paige for a minute, wondering if she should let the girl help. "You take two." Emily finally said, writing down two names from the list on a separate sheet of paper.

"Fine." Paige said, knowing Emily didn't want to risk losing three more institutions. "Write down your number on that paper." She added. "I'll call you in case I get an answer right away."

* * *

A few days later, Emily found herself staring at the final list of hospitals and orphanages that have agreed to participate in the annual trick or treating at the end of the month, still unable to believe that Jai's best friend managed to convince these institutions to join at the last minute. When Paige called her to tell her she got the two to agree, the girl asked if Emily wouldn't mind if she tried contacting the previous institutions that turned her down. Having no luck with the last four, Emily reluctantly gave the girl the names on her list and the next thing she knew, Paige told her she got seven more institutions to agree, bringing the total number of hospitals and orphanages to ten including Rosewood General Hospital. Paige refused to tell her how she did it and Emily decided to drop the matter for now. A part of her felt glad that things were going well so far but there was also a part of her that felt disappointed. She couldn't tell why exactly. She just did.

Emily was distracted from her thoughts when she heard her phone ring. Getting up, she was surprised to see Jai's number on the screen. It was a Friday morning and Jai usually called her at night.

"Hey." Emily said in greeting as she sat on the edge of her bed.

"Em. Thank god you answered. Can you miss school for a few days next week?" Jai's frantic tone of voice at the other end of the line made Emily sit up straight.

"Slow down. What's going on?" Emily asked, worried.

"Can you?" Jai repeated.

"Why?" Emily inquired.

"I just talked to Kayla and she told me she and Paige are going on a road trip to California. Paige's going to visit USC for a private campus tour." Jai explained hurriedly.

"Wow. She impressed that scout, huh?" Emily said, still confused as to why Jai was so anxious.

"She impressed him _again_." Jai corrected. "It's a long story but the track meet wasn't the first time Adam Grant saw Paige run." She clarified.

Emily nodded. "Okay. So why do you want me to miss school?" She asked.

"It's just the two of them on a forty-hour drive. _To and from_." Jai emphasized as if that was supposed to bother Emily as well.

Emily knit her brows in confusion. "So?" She asked. "Jai, I know Paige and I never got along but I'm kinda getting the impression that she's a true friend to you. When she told you she isn't planning on making a move on your sister I think she means it. She's not gonna risk your friendship if you were so against it." She said, trying to reassure her girlfriend but the opposite thing happened instead.

"Why? Did she say something? If I wasn't against it does she plan on pursuing Kayla?" Jai asked urgently.

"Uh Jai, we don't talk about her love life. We hardly talk actually." Emily reminded her girlfriend. "Why do you keep warning Paige to stay away? She gets it. You don't approve of her for your sister."

"It's not that I don't approve. She's my best friend Em. If things were different I'd want my sister to be with Paige." Jai said, finally calming down.

"So why are you freaking out everytime you find out they're spending time together?" Emily asked lightly. "Paige seems to genuinely care about her. Like she's the _one_ girl other than you that she treats nicely. Is it so bad if they end up becoming more than friends?"

"Right now, yeah. Paige can't commit. Kayla knows it too. But she has this idea in her head that she's the girl Paige will fight for. Disobey her dad for." Jai explained.

"Disobey her dad? How does Paige's dad factor into this?" Emily asked, confused.

"Like I said. Long story. But Paige doesn't know that Kayla sees her that way. And I just don't want Kayla to get hurt if Paige rejects her. So can you miss school to come with them? I know it's asking a lot and you know how serious I am about grades and stuff. I wouldn't ask this of you if it wasn't so important to me." Jai admitted.

"I know. I'll do it." Emily said, getting up and heading to her laptop to search for something on the internet.

"Really?" Jai asked hesitantly.

Emily smiled. "Of course. I love you. And I don't want you to worry so much when you're so far away. It's just a few days. I can catch up." She said reassuringly.

"Thank you. And I love you too." Jai said earnestly. "They're planning to leave before dawn tomorrow." She informed her girlfriend.

"I'm on it." Emily said as she hit the search button on USC's website.

"What are you doing?" Jai asked, curious as to what Emily was up to when she heard the sound of typing.

"Paige won't let me join them if I told her you asked me to come with them to keep an eye on Kayla." Emily explained as she continued to browse the USC website. "I need an excuse and I think I just found it."

* * *

Paige got out of her dad's car and hurriedly made her way to the Hayes' front door. She rang the doorbell and stood back, checking the time on her watch as she waited for Kayla to emerge from inside the house. She had a forty-hour drive ahead of her but she didn't mind. She was invited for an official campus tour of USC. Things were looking up.

"All set?" Paige asked once Kayla opened the front door.

"Yeah." Kayla said, giving her overnight bag to Paige when the girl extended a hand to take it from her. She took out a scrunchie, tying her hair into a ponytail as she followed Paige to the car.

"You're fine with drive-thrus, right?" Paige asked as she opened the rear of the car to place Kayla's things together with her own.

"Restroom stops only." Kayla said in reply. "I remember what we talked about."

"All set then." Paige said, closing the door and going to the passenger side of the car.

Kayla smiled and moved to hug Paige. "Congratulations by the way." She said once they separated.

Paige grinned. "Thanks. And thank you for volunteering to come with me. Even if you couldn't drive at least you can keep me company." She admitted.

Kayla opened her mouth to speak but ended up hitting her forehead with the palm of her hand instead. _My fake ID_. _That might come in handy_. She thought.

"What?" Paige asked, worried.

"I left something inside. I'll be quick." Kayla promised before jogging back towards the front door.

Paige shook her head in amusement and walked around the front of the car to go to the driver's side, twirling the car keys on her forefinger as she did so.

"I can drive." A voice behind her made Paige turn around in confusion.

"_And_ I love road trips." Emily said, walking slowly towards Paige who was currently staring at the overnight bag she held in one hand. "Is there room for one more?" She asked.

"If I say no will you go away?" Paige shot back.

"I think there's room for one more." Emily said, ignoring what Paige said.

"Why are you here?" Paige asked suspiciously.

"I'd like to see USC. Check out the Annenberg and Marshall Schools." Emily said offhandedly. "Jai said you and Kayla were headed there for a few days so I thought I'd join you two."

Paige smirked. "Nice try. But you and Jai are pretty set on UPenn. Why do you really want to come?" She insisted.

"I want to be able to look after Kayla." Emily finally admitted, mentally berating herself for thinking that her excuse would work.

"And you think I'm not going to be able to do that." Paige stated. "I've been part of their lives since Kayla was nine. I think I know how to take care of her."

"I'm not questioning your ability to take care of her. I'm just saying I could keep her company while you look around the campus." Emily offered. "Besides, we could take turns at the wheel. It's a forty-hour drive. To and from. And the last time I checked Kayla doesn't have a driver's license yet." She reminded Paige.

"I don't mind driving for forty hours." Paige stubbornly said.

"You say that now." Emily warned the girl. "Why didn't you just book a flight anyway? It's faster."

"I like traveling by land rather than air or water." Paige explained.

"Well you're gonna be exhausted once you get there if you insist on driving by yourself." Emily reminded her. When Paige didn't say anything, she smiled. "I guess I'm coming with you two."

Paige heaved a sigh and wordlessly extended her hand to take Emily's overnight bag, walking towards the rear of the car once again to place the girl's bag with the rest of their stuff.

* * *

Emily leaned forward from the passenger seat of the car, studying the stereo system in Paige's dad's Buick Encore. They've been on the road for almost twelve hours and she was tired of listening to mellow music. She wanted to find a station that played some upbeat sounds for a change.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Kayla warned her from the backseat of the car.

Emily slightly turned her head to ask what Kayla meant when she felt Paige glaring at her. "What?" She asked Paige instead.

"I forgot to tell you." Kayla began, leaning forward and positioning herself on the space between the front seats. "Paige has two rules when riding in her dad's car. One, no eating inside unless it's absolutely necessary like on this road trip. And even if she allows it, you can't drink juice, coffee, soda or any other beverage that isn't water. And you can't eat messy foods or foods that leave an 'aftersmell' as she likes to call it like noodles, burritos, tacos, burgers, and subs. And two, no touching the stereo. That one she's really strict about." She added. "You almost earned yourself a strike."

"And there's no one exempted from those rules." Emily stated, staring at Kayla.

"Nope." Kayla answered. "Well unless you're god." She added. "I'm still trying to figure out a way to trick her into believing I've become god for a day." Kayla stage-whispered, making Paige roll her eyes in annoyance.

"You're serious?" Emily asked, tongue-in-cheek, directing her question to Paige this time, whose eyes were now back on the road.

"Why are you in the front seat?!" Paige asked grumpily, not taking her eyes off the road.

"Kayla asked to switch places because she wanted to sleep at the back." Emily reminded the grouchy girl. "Don't worry. You won't even notice I'm here." She promised.

"I seriously doubt that." Paige muttered under her breath as she shifted gears.

"Bathroom break." Kayla suddenly declared from the backseat.

Paige nodded wordlessly and continued to drive, on the lookout for a gas station.

"So you're really going to accept a track scholarship?" Emily asked as she leaned back on the passenger seat of the car.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. I love running more than swimming." She admitted.

"But you're the captain of the swim team." Emily reminded the girl.

"Still love running more than swimming." Paige insisted.

"Why?" Emily asked, focusing her eyes on the road ahead of them.

"I feel freer when I run. I like being able to cover wide distances, feel the solid ground on my feet, hear the pounding of my heart. I do love swimming. But I love running more. It makes me feel alive." Paige explained.

"It's a full-ride, right? At least for one year?" Emily asked, glancing at Paige. When she saw the girl nod her head, she continued. "And you're pretty much a shoe in. I mean, that's why you've been invited for an official campus tour. So you could familiarize yourself."

"I don't know. I don't want to expect too much." Paige said as she turned on the signal to switch lanes when she saw a sign indicating a gas station nearby.

"Why?" Emily asked, confused by Paige's seeming lack of enthusiasm about the whole thing.

Paige shrugged. "It's easier. That way it won't be too disappointing if I don't get in." She explained as she looked around for a parking space.

"Why do you think that way?" Emily inquired. "Have such low expectations? Not everything turns out disappointing in life." She reminded the girl.

"I know." Paige said as she eased her dad's car into an empty spot. "Just people doing something to disappoint you." She added as she killed the engine. "Be quick." Paige said as she met Kayla's eyes in the rearview mirror.

Kayla nodded and quickly got out of the car, leaving Paige and Emily alone. The two girls sat in awkward silence, staring straight ahead.

"Jai asked you to come with us didn't she?" Paige asked quietly. "My best friend's paranoia is getting out of hand. You're missing school because of it and I know how much you two are obsessed with your studies."

Emily glanced at Paige. "She asked but I was the one who decided to miss a few days. She's just worried about Kayla and I don't want her to worry so much when she's so far away." She explained.

"Why is she worried?" Paige asked, exasperated. "I told her countless times I wasn't interested in her sister. And Kayla likes some senior at her school. Jai should be worried about that not me. When we go to that campus tour to UPenn next month I'm gonna swing by Girard on the way home. Check out this girl Kayla is so smitten with." She said resolutely.

Emily furrowed her brows in confusion, trying hard not to laugh. She didn't know Paige was so naïve.

"What?!" Paige asked when she saw the grin Emily was trying to hide.

"You're going to Girard to check out the girl Jai's sister is interested in." Emily repeated cautiously.

"Yeah. Since Jai isn't here it's my duty to act as her older sister and by knowing who this girl is I am doing just that." Paige explained.

"I don't think Kayla sees you as an older sister." Emily said, trying to clue in Paige.

"What does that mean?" Paige asked, offended.

"You really have no idea?" Emily asked, amused.

"No." Paige answered emphatically.

"You are so dense it's endearing." Emily said, starting to smile.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Paige asked irately.

"Kayla told you this girl she likes goes to Girard?" Emily asked, trying again to clue in Paige.

"Not exactly. But where else will she meet this girl?" Paige challenged.

Emily broke into a wide smile. "Paige, you're so dense..."

"If you say 'it's endearing' one more time I swear on the ride home you're occupying the compartment." Paige declared.

"I promise to behave." Emily said, managing to hide her smile just as Kayla entered the car.

* * *

"You girls up for some competition?" A lanky guy wearing a USC letterman jacket asked as he and his friend who was sporting a crew cut and wearing a letterman jacket as well approached the pool table.

After spending more than forty hours on the road, they finally arrived in Los Angeles. Paige wanted to turn in for the night, exhausted from all the driving, but Kayla insisted on checking out the night life around campus for a few hours. They finally found a decent dive bar where most of the crowds were students from USC and Paige gradually found herself enjoying the atmosphere, feeling like she was getting a taste of what her life would be like if she went there next year.

The minute they arrived, Kayla immediately spotted the couple leaving the pool table at the far end corner of the room and she made a beeline for it, reaching it the same time the two college guys did. Paige was right behind the girl and noticed the guys eyeing Jai's sister appreciatively.

"How much are we talking about?" Paige asked, standing beside Kayla and trying to get the guys' attentions.

"One round, hundred bucks." The lanky guy answered. "We're willing to give you girls a handicap of course."

Kayla smirked. "No thanks. I have a feeling you two will need it more. You guys better be ready to explain to your mommies where you spent your allowance for this week." She quipped.

"Confident. I like that." The lanky guy said, smiling at Kayla flirtatiously.

Kayla rolled her eyes. "And totally gay. Rack 'em up." She told the guy, nodding her head towards the pool table as she and Paige went to get cue sticks.

Emily grabbed a stool by the bar and watched as Paige and Kayla walked over to the side to let the guys begin their turn. It was clear that the two spent a lot of time together seeing how comfortable Paige is with the girl, leaning in close to whisper something in Kayla's ear before placing her arm around the girl's shoulder. What Paige wasn't aware of is how Kayla feels about her as Emily noticed the hint of blush on the girl's cheeks. All thoughts of that were quickly forgotten when one of the guys missed sinking a pool ball and Paige's lips broke into a smirk as she moved to start their turn.

"Corner pocket." Paige called the pocket shot before leaning forward to position herself better and easily sank the pool ball. She straightened up and moved once again, studying the pool balls while rubbing a piece of chalk on the tip of her cue stick.

Emily watched Paige for a second, realizing that for the first time she's seeing Paige when the girl wasn't being mean to her. She watched as she interacted with Kayla and laughed at something the girl said. The two were good pool players but Paige was easily better and when she sank the final pool ball on the table, Emily couldn't help but be impressed. She watched as Paige and Kayla exchanged high fives and took the money from the guys before shaking their hands. Paige handed half of the money to Kayla and pocketed the rest, grinning at the girl standing in front of her. Emily felt a tinge of sadness. She felt like an outsider just now. When the two seemed to forget that she was there. She couldn't help but wonder why Paige refused to spend time with her the same way.

"Up for a game of pool?" Kayla asked, jarring Emily from her thoughts when the girl approached her.

"I don't know. I don't have a hundred bucks with me." Emily said lightly.

"So pay up when we get back to Rosewood." Kayla said, shrugging. She grinned when she saw Emily's look of disbelief. "Kidding. Come on. Paige's waiting for us. She sent me here to get you."

"Really?" Emily asked, surprised.

"Yeah." Kayla said, nodding. "Actually I told her that I was going to the ladies' room and she told me to get you on the way over." She corrected. "Try not to kill each other while I'm gone." Kayla added before turning her back to leave.

Emily watched Kayla approach the bartender and ask for directions before getting up and making her way to where Paige stood, racking up the balls.

"You know how to play, Sniffles?" Paige asked, not looking at Emily.

"Not as good as you and Kayla but I think I can manage." Emily answered as she accepted the cue stick Paige handed to her and rubbed some chalk on its tip.

"Good. Break it." Paige said as she lifted the triangle and moved to let Emily break the racked balls. "Careful though. Wouldn't want you to break a fingernail." She added sarcastically.

Emily ignored Paige's mockery and angled her cue stick to break the racked pool balls, disheartened. Just like that, the Paige she saw earlier seemingly left the bar. Leaving in its wake the Paige she has known for three years.

* * *

"How's Kayla?" Emily asked once she saw Paige emerge from the bedroom of the hotel room she rented for the night.

After three more games of pool at the bar, Paige finally decided to call it a night and checked-in to the hotel the USC athletic department provided for her during her stay for the private campus tour. Since the original plan was that Kayla was her only companion, she only reserved one extra room. The last minute change in plans resulted with Emily getting said room, Paige volunteering to sleep on the couch and her telling Kayla to sleep on her bed instead. But for some reason, as the night wore on, Kayla ended up getting drunk and Paige had to change the plan again.

"Passed out." Paige answered as she gently closed the door behind her. "I can't believe you let her order beer." She said, reprimanding Emily in a hushed tone. "Several times." Paige added.

"What?!" Emily exclaimed, incredulous. "How is this my fault? All those times she kept leaving I just thought she had a small bladder or something. I mean, you two are close. You should've known what she was up to." She retorted.

"Well you're the one who first saw her talking to the bartender before you left." Paige reminded Emily.

"I thought she was asking for directions!" Emily said defensively. "Where's your superpower of observation now?" She asked, mocking Paige. "Kayla kept returning to the pool table with a bottle. I thought you knew she had a fake ID."

"I didn't notice she was drinking beer. She kept wrapping those damn bottles in table napkins." Paige said, exasperated.

"We were in a _bar_. What did you expect? Milk and cookies?" Emily shot back.

Paige sighed. "Jai is gonna kill me if she finds out about this." She said, glancing at Emily hesitantly.

"Not if we don't tell her." Emily said, getting the hint. Though she refused to take all the blame, she knew she was at fault as well.

"Are you sure you're fine sleeping on the couch?" Paige asked, staring at the makeshift bed Emily managed to put together while Paige tucked in Kayla.

"Yeah. We can't carry her to your room. Good thing this room's near the elevator." Emily added.

"You can sleep in my bed if you want. I can take the couch here." Paige offered.

Emily shook her head, surprised by Paige's attitude towards her just now. "It's fine. It'd give me a chance to look after her. In case she needs to vomit or wakes up with a hangover." She said reassuringly.

"Okay then." Paige said, heading for the door to go to her room.

"Why didn't you tell Jai about UPenn?" Emily blurted out. The question has been gnawing at her ever since she saw the brochures in Paige's locker. Since the girl's attitude towards her seemed different just now, she asked the question before she lost her nerve.

Paige turned around to face Emily. "Obviously I don't want her to know." She answered, too tired to bicker with the girl.

"Why?" Emily asked, slowly walking towards Paige.

"She's gonna ask me to 'try to get in' like the guidance counselor told me and my dad told me. Kinda getting tired of people asking me to try for something I don't want." Paige admitted.

Emily nodded thoughtfully. "So that's how this thing started. A talk with the guidance counselor." She concluded.

"I'm not keen on getting into UPenn. Same way as you not being so eager on helping me get in. I really want to get out of Pennsylvania." Paige said, sounding almost defeated.

"So why are you still applying? Why can't you just say no to your dad?" Emily asked, confused.

"Because." Paige answered.

"Because what?" Emily urged gently, seeing how conflicted the girl seemed.

"Just because, okay?!" Paige snapped, surprising Emily. "I'm not gonna start sharing things about my life with you. You're not my friend."

"Well Jai's your friend. So why won't you tell her?" Emily asked, ignoring Paige's sudden outburst.

"Because even if she's my best friend she'd insist that I attend UPenn as well. She stopped taking my side a long time ago. She's not gonna start now." Paige said dryly.

"Because of me." Emily said quietly, hit with a sudden realization as to why Paige has hated her for so long.

"What?" Paige asked, baffled. "No. This isn't about you. Not everything is about you when it comes to Jai." She insisted but Emily wouldn't listen to her.

"Paige you don't have to feel threatened. I'm not going to take Jai away from you." Emily said reassuringly.

Paige scoffed. "You think I'm threatened by your presence in my best friend's life? We've been friends longer than you two have been together." She reminded the girl.

"Exactly. Just because I came into the picture doesn't mean you're gonna lose her." Emily continued, realizing it all made sense now. "There's room for both of us in her life."

"I'm not threatened by your presence in my best friend's life. I don't mind sharing Jai." Paige said firmly.

"Just not with me. You don't mind sharing Jai just as long as it's not with me." Emily said, starting to get angry. "You don't think I'm good enough especially when you saw me with Carla and you just assumed I was gonna cheat on Jai since she isn't around." She concluded, getting fed up with Paige's attitude towards her. She wasn't going to let Paige treat her this way anymore. She wanted the girl to realize something. "Before you judge me and start calling me a cheater, why don't you take a good look at yourself in the mirror? Because between the two of us, you're the one who's capable of cheating. Like father like daughter." Emily blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Excuse me?" Paige said, her posture instantly becoming rigid.

"You heard me." Emily replied, refusing to take those words back.

"I did. I just didn't think you'd be one of them." Paige said, trying to control her temper.

"_One of them_?! You really think you're better than the rest of us don't you?" Emily said in disbelief.

"No. I think I'm better than the people who have nothing better to do than gossip and spread rumors." Paige corrected.

Emily crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Rumors." She began. "So the part about your mom and dad fighting in the middle of the street for everyone to see; your dad standing outside your house in tears while your mom rode off in a cab. That's not true? Your mom catching your dad in bed with another woman; the same woman who happens to be his real wife. That's not true? You being a love child, that's not true?" Emily spouted; blinded by the indignation she was feeling that she didn't see the pain in Paige's eyes.

"Stop it." Paige ordered, controlling her anger.

"Your dad couldn't keep it in his pants. Since your mom wasn't around, he had no choice but to raise you by himself and having him as your role model growing up, it made you a skirt chaser as well." Emily concluded, refusing to listen to Paige.

"You don't know anything about my life or my dad for that matter." Paige said firmly, her hands balling tightly into fists.

"I don't need to. It's obvious how you ended up like that. People talk. All I need to do is listen." Emily stated.

"You shouldn't. They're all talk. They don't know the truth." Paige said quietly, her anger ebbing.

"Just like you don't know the truth about what really happened with Carla. You just judged me." Emily reminded the girl.

Paige ran a hand through her hair. "That's what brought this on? You want me to apologize now for what I did?" She asked, suddenly feeling drained.

"It's about time don't you think?" Emily said, waiting for the apology.

"Fine. I'm sorry. That I was looking out for my best friend. I said those things because I didn't want her to lose you. It wasn't until recently that I realized just how serious she is about you. So I'm sorry. For biting your head off and trying to be a good friend to her." Paige said sincerely.

"There. Was that so hard to do?" Emily asked. She stared at Paige for a while, studying the girl closely. "I'm sorry I said those things to you just now. I just wanted to make you feel what it's like to be judged unfairly. Now we're even." She said quietly.

Paige scoffed. "No. We're not. You see, I said those things to you with good intentions. Did it come across wrong? Yeah. But I said those things to you with good intentions." She repeated. "I know my heart is in the right place even if my head isn't. But you? You just retaliated because your feelings were hurt. This conversation was never about you and Jai and what I think I saw but you refused to accept it and instead you turned it into that." She said, not bothering to hide the hurt she was feeling.

"My dad? He's not perfect. He's overprotective. Overbearing. He's a lot of things. And he frustrates me most of the time. But he was never a cheater. I'm not a child born out of wedlock." Paige said adamantly. "People talk. That doesn't mean you should listen. Because those people weren't there the day my mom walked out the door. My dad was there. _I_ was there. You and the rest of Rosewood have no business talking about him behind his back. Pitying me for being raised by a cheater when you don't know the whole story. Just like me you jumped to conclusions based on what you think you saw. What you think you heard. But unlike me, you did it for the wrong reasons. You say I'm heartless. Well that makes two of us." She said quietly.

Emily heard the pain in Paige's voice and immediately regretted the things she said. When Jai and Paige entered her life, she began to hear the stories circulating around Rosewood about Paige's family. She listened but she never really paid attention. But Paige's refusal until now to admit that she was wrong to judge Emily made her repeat the things she heard to make Paige realize she had no right to act like she was better than them. She was turning into someone she didn't like and it was because of constantly being around Paige.

"I hate being around you." Emily finally said.

"Well join the club. The same goes for me." Paige said bitterly.

Emily shook her head. "No. It doesn't. Because unlike you, I am not this rude person. I am nice. I am a nice person. Being around you turns me into this horrible person and I don't like it." She admitted.

"I see. Well I'll let you in on a secret. No one is just plain nice." Paige began. "I don't think you hate being around me. I think you hate to see a part of yourself that you try so hard to hide to others when you're with me." She corrected. "People may see you as nice. Sweet. Maybe even innocent. But you're not perfect. You can't be those things all the time. I'm not saying you're horrible. But I'm the only person who's seen a different side of you. I've seen it because you never bothered to hide it when you're around me. Because you refused to be intimated. That's why you kept fighting back. And that's why I think even if you say you hate being around me, you find yourself arguing with me all the time. Because the truth is being with me is the only time you get to be yourself."

"That's not true. I can be myself when I'm around my friends too. And unlike you, they don't need to make fun of me all the time just for me to show them who I really am." Emily insisted.

"You've never lost your temper around them. Not like this. How can you say you've shown them who you really are?" Paige asked. "That's what I meant. You've never shown anyone else this side of you. I'm not saying it makes you a horrible person. Or that I enjoy bringing out this side of you. It's a flaw. Being around me makes you realize that you're not as perfect as people make you out to be. That you can stop smiling and playing nice. That you get angry too when it matters. So ask yourself why you really hate being around me. Is it because you don't want to admit that you have a flaw? Or is it that you don't want to admit that even if it's just for a few minutes, a part of you that you don't want others to see gets to come out around me?" She asked quietly.

They stood staring at each other for a few seconds before Paige spoke up again.

"You don't need to apologize. I understood why you said those things to me. And maybe I had it coming after everything I've said and done. But you don't have to apologize because I know you didn't mean them. You're just fed up. You're tired of fighting with me all the time. And we're both tired from the trip. So let's just forget this ever happened." Paige said quietly. "I'll see you in the morning." She added before turning her back to leave.

"Paige?" Emily called out hesitantly, for some reason scared to ask the other thing she realized.

"Yeah?" Paige asked, turning around to face her.

"Do you think I'm not good enough? For Jai? Is that why you're this mean to me?" Emily asked cautiously. If Paige thought she was capable of being this mean, maybe that was the reason. She didn't deserve to be with someone like Jai.

"What?" Page asked, confused.

"I keep racking my brain. It didn't bother me before. I mean it did. But tonight it bothered me a lot. Seeing you in that bar with Kayla. Laughing, smiling, making jokes. It's like there's this part of you that you're so unwilling to show me. When it was the three of us again the Paige I saw when I was sitting from the bar disappeared and you were back to this scowling, name-calling person. It's like you have this mean attitude reserved only for me and I don't understand why. The only reason I could think of is because you think I'm not good enough for your best friend." Emily admitted.

"That's not it." Paige said, shaking her head adamantly.

"Then why? It was only for a few minutes but I knew instantly that the person I'm talking to right now isn't the real you. The real you is the one I saw for a few minutes in that bar. When you seemingly forgot that I was there. And from what I saw I knew we would have gotten along really well. It's like I know more about you today than in the three years we were around each other. So why are you so dead set on refusing to be friends with me?" Emily asked, puzzled.

"Why are you so dead set on wanting to be friends with me?" Paige threw the question back to the girl.

"Because I love your best friend very much. And I know it can't be easy for her to see us fighting all the time." Emily explained.

"It doesn't matter if we never get along. I don't have a problem with you being Jai's girlfriend. If I did I wouldn't have gone off on you when I saw you talking to Carla. I want my best friend to be happy. She deserves to have the best in life." Paige said firmly.

"But you think I'm not it. You think she could do so much better. Seeing me with Carla somehow proved that to you didn't it?" Emily asked, trying to force Paige to admit the truth. "Paige I may not be the best but I love her and I know I make her happy." She said confidently.

"Then what I think about you shouldn't really matter, should it?" Paige said rhetorically, opening the door to end the conversation.

Frustrated, Emily called out after the girl. "Tell me. What you think of me. Just tell me." She pleaded.

Paige didn't bother to look at Emily. "Trust me Sniffles. You're better off not knowing." She said quietly before closing the door behind her.

For a minute, Paige gripped the door handle, her knuckles turning white as she forced herself to stop thinking about going back inside and apologizing. She closed her eyes and willed her hand to relax its grip on the door handle, telling herself to let it go. When she finally did, she opened her eyes and stared at the door for a brief moment before turning her back to go to her room.

_I knew we would have gotten along really well._

_I love your best friend very much._

_I want my best friend to be happy. She deserves to have the best in life._

_I may not be the best but I love her and I know I make her happy._

_Tell me. What you think of me. Just tell me._

Paige closed her eyes, fighting the bitterness she felt. It was better this way.


	4. mutantur : chapter iv

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

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_**Reviews, reactions, comments, theories about the story = awesome. Keep 'em coming. I love reading your theories and analysis of the story so far. Thanks so much you guys! I like proving you right… and wrong lol.**_

_**So sorry for the late post. Like I said in chapter ii, I'm currently swamped at work. Please bear with me. : )**_

_**AliasThorne, Nae10 and BokononCradle... Thanks for the PM.**_

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**PART ONE: "Mutantur Omnia Nos Et Mutamur In Illis"**

_~ All things change, and we change with them. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**

"Em are you coming?" Aria asked as she, Hanna and Spencer stood near their friend's locker, waiting for Emily to get the books she would need for her morning classes.

Emily didn't bother to turn around to face her friends as she shook her head, stealing a glance at the far end of the corridor. "You guys go ahead. I can't seem to find my notebook." She lied before inconspicuously checking her watch for the time.

"We don't mind waiting." Hanna told her friend reassuringly.

"It's fine. Really. I'll see you at lunch." Emily insisted, stealing a glance at the far end of the corridor once again.

"Is everything okay?" Spencer asked as she moved to stand beside Emily. "You still haven't told us what happened when you went to that road trip with Kayla and Paige." She said cautiously. "Did Paige do something stupid again? You really shouldn't have gone to that trip Em. Jai was asking a lot from you. She should've known her jerk of a best friend was going to use that opportunity to make fun of you again."

Emily felt her cheeks flush and she moved her head inside her locker, pretending she was still searching for her notebook. "It wasn't like that." She started, her voice muffled as she rummaged through her things. "I didn't want Jai to worry so I went with them. I actually spent most of the time alone. Paige went to that campus tour and I lost Kayla. She wasn't answering her phone so I ended up walking around campus by myself until it was time to go home."

"So why are you acting weird?" Spencer observed.

Emily sighed before finally turning around to face her friends. "I'm not." She said, managing to give them a smile. "I'm still just a little tired from the trip. I'll tell you all about it at lunch. Right now I just really need to find my notebook. You guys should go ahead. It's almost time." She said, checking her watch for effect.

"Okay. We'll see you later. Come on guys." Aria said, giving their friend a hesitant look before leaving, Hanna and Spencer close behind.

Emily watched their retreating backs for a second before turning to face her locker once again. She slowly took out her books and checked the far end of the corridor again, this time feeling her palms start to sweat when she finally saw the brown-haired girl she was waiting for. She gripped the door of her locker nervously, waiting for the right time to close it as she watched Paige walk towards her from the corner of her eye. A day has passed since they returned from their road trip to Los Angeles and though she _was_ exhausted from the trip, sleep didn't come easy to her ever since their fight. She kept tossing and turning, her mind restless as her conscience nagged her until the wee hours of the morning for all the horrible things she said to Jai's best friend. She and Paige spent the rest of the trip in California being civil to each other and the drive home was filled with uncomfortable silence. The car would've exploded with tension if not for Kayla's attempt to lighten the mood by pretending to be a tour guide the entire time.

She was so guilt-ridden about all the things she said that she couldn't even bring herself to answer Jai's calls, not knowing what to say when her girlfriend asks how the trip went. She knows how much Jai loves her. And between Paige and her, Jai _always_ took her side. But that was because Paige always gave Jai reason to side with her. This time she was in the wrong. And she'd rather fix the mess she made now than hear the disappointment in Jai's voice when she finds out about it from Paige. Emily didn't want to admit it but she got so used to Jai taking her side everytime Paige made fun of her that she didn't want to know what it feels like to hear Jai side with Paige on this one. She didn't know how her girlfriend would react when she finds out that Emily said all those cruel things to Paige. She owed Paige an apology. Even if the girl said she knew Emily didn't mean all those things, at the back of her mind, Emily knew she crossed a line and Paige deserved an apology.

"Hey." Emily said in greeting, forcing her voice to sound a little upbeat as she closed the door of her locker and stepped beside Paige the moment the girl walked past her.

Paige stopped chewing the piece of energy bar she had been eating, pausing mid bite when she heard Emily's voice beside her. After their disastrous road trip, the last thing she expected was for Emily to come up to her. She spotted the girl the moment she rounded the corner. But right now she didn't know how to go back to their usual bickering selves that she chose to pretend she didn't notice Emily when she passed by the girl's locker.

"Hey." Paige managed to say before swallowing the food in her mouth, taking another bite of the energy bar she was forced to eat until her best friend returned.

"Where's mine?" Emily asked, nodding her head towards the energy bar Paige held in her hand.

Paige stopped walking and turned to face Emily, searching her sling bag for something before finally pulling out a Ziploc sandwich bag with five energy bars inside. Wordlessly, she handed it to the girl, waiting for Emily to take it as she continued chewing the bite she just took.

"That's a lot." Emily observed, her eyes never leaving the Ziploc Paige held in front of her.

"Well that's what happens when you do your girlfriend's bidding and agree to babysit Kayla for Jai in L.A. You skipped several days' worth of this oh-so-tasty treat." Paige reminded Emily sarcastically, still slightly annoyed at the girl and her best friend for the stunt they pulled on her.

"So did you." Emily shot back cautiously, trying to gauge where they stood now that they're back in Rosewood.

"Hey I'm on my last bar here!" Paige exclaimed indignantly.

Emily felt like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. She and Paige were somehow back to their typical bickering and though she still would've preferred that they become actual friends, right now she'd rather continue bickering with the girl than be in a real fight with her.

"Either you're really hungry or it's starting to grow on you." Emily said, managing to give the girl a teasing smile despite the nervousness she was feeling.

Paige rolled her eyes, still unable to believe that she lost the bet. "Neither. I'm just trying to hold my end of the deal. Thank god this is my last bar. I don't think I can eat or smell another bar today without gagging." She said before swallowing the piece of energy bar she had been chewing. "I still can't believe my granola bar lost to something that tastes like mulched paper." Paige complained. When she noticed Emily trying hard not to grin, she narrowed her eyes at the girl. "Take these." She ordered, extending the Ziploc to the girl. "Since you claim to love them so much, let's see you finish these five bars by the end of the day." She said smugly.

Emily reluctantly took the Ziploc full of energy bars and placed it inside her shoulder bag before returning her gaze to Paige. They stared at each other for a moment before she cleared her throat to speak.

"Well we should probably head to class." Emily muttered, turning away from the girl and leading the way to their Film and Literature class.

They began walking in uncomfortable silence with the exception of Paige occasionally munching on her energy bar, using the act as an excuse to keep her mouth full so she won't have to talk to Emily.

"Are we cool?" Emily asked after a beat, glancing at Paige. "I mean, I know we're still not friends. But did you mean what you said? About forgetting it ever happened?" She asked hesitantly, her eyes looking straight ahead.

"What ever happened?" Paige asked coolly, making Emily look at her in surprise and uncertainty.

"Um." Emily uttered, not knowing what to make of Paige's answer. She didn't know if Paige was waiting for her to bring up their argument or if the girl was pretending she didn't know what Emily was talking about. She was about to go with the former when Paige spoke up again.

"Because I thought we agreed not to tell Jai that Kayla got drunk under our watch? Why do you want to bring that up now?" Paige asked, stealing a quick glance at Emily before looking away.

"Right. No. I was just checking." Emily said, finally understanding what Paige was trying to do. "That definitely stays between us." She said as they got to the door of their class at the same time just as the bell rang. Emily decided to let Paige through first but the girl stood her ground.

"No. Please. After you Sniffles." Paige said sarcastically, gesturing for Emily to go inside first. "You already missed several days of school because of me. If Mr. Roberts reprimands you today for being late to his class because of me I just might start feeling special."

Emily sighed and ignored Paige's jibe, choosing to enter the room first like the girl told her to. Yeah, she understood that Paige wanted to put what happened in California behind them. She does too. But just the fight. Not everything that happened. Now she couldn't help but feel hurt that when Paige said forget it ever happened, the girl wasn't just referring to their fight. Paige was telling Emily to forget she ever saw part of the real Paige she wanted to get to know.

* * *

"To facilitate next week's discussion on the existence of philosophical skepticism in film, I want all of you to submit an essay on one crucial part of the film the matrix." The film teacher instructed the class before turning his back to them to write the title on the board.

"Seriously? But that movie is like… old." Paige muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Emily to hear.

Although the two girls never sat together in their Film and Literature class ever since the start of their senior year, they were forced to sit together today since they were the last ones to enter the room. Because she let Emily go in first, Paige didn't notice it until she looked around the room and saw that the only remaining seat available was beside the girl. She grudgingly made her way towards Emily and wordlessly sat beside the surprised girl, staring straight ahead. She remained that way for the rest of the class until now.

When Paige saw Emily shake her head discreetly from the corner of her eye, she angled her body towards the girl. "What? It's old! Just like Mr. Roberts." Paige whispered, jerking her head slightly towards the balding man engrossed in writing everything on the board.

"Will you pay attention to class?" Emily reprimanded the girl under her breath. "Just listen to the instructions first."

Paige rolled her eyes in annoyance and focused her attention to their teacher again.

"Pretend that you're the protagonist of the film, Neo. And this." Mr. Roberts said, gesturing around him. "Is the matrix." He explained. "For those of you who've watched the film, you know the catalyst of the story. Neo's choice to take the red pill propelled the story forward. Now I stand in front of you, the Morpheus of this matrix, and I am offering you the infamous blue and red pills." He continued, taking out two pills from his pocket for effect. He placed one on each hand and opened them, palms up for the class to see. "You take the blue pill, the story ends; you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes." He said, quoting verbatim the lines Morpheus said to Neo in the film.

Mr. Roberts walked behind the teacher's table and placed the pills on top of it. "Which one would you take and why?" He said, gesturing to the pills in front of him. "There is no right or wrong answer." He added as he gazed at his students. "There is however, a limit to the number of red pill and blue pill takers. To make sure that we don't end up with an influx of blue pill or red pill choices in this class, I have assigned for you to write the paper in pairs. One takes the blue pill, the other the red pill. Before submitting your papers on Monday morning, make sure you read what your partner has to say about their choice. Have a discussion about it. That should start the ball rolling next Wednesday. Pairings are posted on the door. Check it on your way out." He managed to say just as the bell rang.

Paige hastily got up from her chair and bolted for the list on the door, Emily right behind her. They must have seen it at the same time because they groaned at the same time as well.

"Unbelievable. A thousand miles away and Jai seems to be able to force us to spend time together." Emily said as she continued to stare at their names which Mr. Roberts have written side by side.

"Not if I can help it." Paige said determinedly when she spotted their teacher heading towards them. Moving fast, she blocked the path of the balding man. "Excuse me Mr. Roberts, but is there any way for the pairings to be changed? Can I write the paper with someone else?" She asked hurriedly.

"I'm sorry Miss..." Mr. Roberts said, trailing off as he tried to remember who Paige is.

"McCullers." Paige supplied after a beat.

"Yes. Miss McCullers. But the pairings were done for a reason." Mr. Roberts explained, moving past Paige.

"What reason is that?" Paige asked, hurrying to catch up to him.

"I've decided to pair the students who excel in my class with the students who I feel could use a little more push. Work with Miss Fields." Mr. Roberts instructed sternly, leaving Paige standing in open-mouthed shock.

"Excel?!" Paige repeated incredulously. "Excel?! It's just _October_! How could he say I already need more pushing?!" She exclaimed indignantly to no one in particular before turning around, instantly becoming uncomfortable when she realized that Emily heard what Mr. Roberts said to her when she saw the girl standing right behind her.

"Wow. Did he just practically tell you that I'm smarter than you? Burn!" Emily said teasingly. "I guess we're stuck writing that paper together then." She continued, oblivious to Paige's sudden discomfort. "Can we meet Saturday afternoon? I have plans on Saturday morning and whole day of Sunday." Emily explained.

Embarrassed at practically being called an underachiever in front of Emily, Paige turned her back to the girl and hastily wrote something on a page of her notebook before tearing part of it off. Facing the girl once again, she handed the piece of paper to Emily. "Nope. Saturday morning." She insisted firmly. "Be at this address around eleven." She instructed, not meeting Emily's eyes.

Emily took the piece of paper the girl was handing to her, about to protest when she finally noticed Paige's demeanor. "I'm kidding. I was kidding." She repeated apologetically when she realized that the girl didn't see the humor of what just happened. She mentally kicked herself for offending the girl. _Great. You still haven't found a way to apologize for practically calling her a bastard and now here you are, making fun of her for being told she wasn't motivated enough. I'll never be able to talk to Jai again at this rate_. She thought miserably. Just when things were starting to go back to normal. Whatever that is.

Paige knew what Emily thought of her. Compared to Jai, she's practically oozing with slothfulness. But hearing someone refer to her as such, though indirectly, is humiliating. Especially when she's trying. _Not hard enough_. She reminded herself. "I have to go. Can't be late for my next class." Paige muttered under her breath before hurriedly walking past Emily.

* * *

"So do you plan on telling us what happened or do we have to guess?" Spencer finally asked as they watched Emily mindlessly prod her plate of salad during lunch time. "I feel as if in between now and this morning's conversation your mood just got worse." She observed, gently nudging the girl seated beside her.

Emily finally gave up trying to eat the lunch she bought and instead took out one of the five energy bars Paige gave her. She might as well start eating them if she wanted to finish all five bars before the day ends.

"And now you're weird again." Hanna declared. "What's up with the energy bars for lunch? Don't you usually eat those in the morning?"

"Yeah. But Paige and I had a bet about this. I won so she has to eat them with me until Jai returns. Long story short, she said she ate five today so I have to eat five." Emily explained to the girl seated in front of her before reluctantly taking a bite of the bar.

"Did you like, actually, physically, see her eat five?" Aria asked cautiously from beside Hanna. "She could just be making fun of you again, Em."

Emily shook her head. "She isn't. Not today." She said, reminded again of what she did.

"So how was the trip to California?" Hanna asked. "Did something happen? You're unusually quiet ever since you returned."

Emily stared at her friends' worried faces and finally caved. "Paige and I got into a huge fight." She revealed just as Jai's best friend entered the cafeteria. "A real one." She added as she followed Paige's progress across the room.

"What did she do this time?" Spencer asked crossly, her eyes following Paige as well.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Emily said, ashamed. Spencer assuming Paige was always at fault was the reason she was still unable to tell her friends about how horrible she was to Paige. They were going to take her side. Tell her Paige deserved it. And she didn't want her rude behavior to be tolerated.

"Well did you tell Jai? You should tell her." Hanna insisted. "She should know how horrible Paige has been to you since she left."

Emily shook her head. "I'm trying to fix things myself. I don't want Jai to worry everytime Paige and I fight." She explained.

"Wait, why are you the one trying to fix things?" Aria asked, confused.

"Because what happened was my fault." Emily admitted. "I don't want to go into the details. Let's just leave it at that." She pleaded.

"Fine by me. I'd rather not talk about Paige anyway. Not if it meant hearing how horrible she is to you." Spencer said before returning to her lunch. "Let's talk about something else. Like triple play tonight." She said enthusiastically.

Emily groaned inwardly. She was really looking forward to tonight but because she offended Paige earlier again, she couldn't protest when the girl insisted to meet tomorrow morning.

"About that. I can't make it to triple play tonight." Emily said reluctantly.

"What? Why? It's your turn to host." Hanna reminded her. "Finally." She added, making Spencer and Aria hide their grins.

Every month, Emily and her friends spend one Friday night at one of their houses for a 'triple play'. They watch three movies that have one thing in common. Whether it's an actor, a character's name or a title, even as subtle as the name of a street. If there's one thing in common, they get to include it. The host of the triple play for the month has to guess what the three movies have in common. Each movie is chosen by the other three and by the end of the movie marathon (usually early Saturday morning), if the host isn't able to guess the common denominator, she has to host the triple play again the following month. It's fun if you host it once. But hosting one every month is tiring especially if you have to cater to their every whim, from the simplest like an extra pillow, to the ridiculous like a bowl of three parts blue M&Ms, one part yellow. And so far they've been sleeping over at Hanna's for five triple plays now. That's why the girl was looking forward to tonight.

"I know. But I have a paper to write for my film and lit class and Paige wanted to write it tomorrow morning." Emily explained. "I couldn't protest since like I said, I'm trying to fix things."

"You have to write the paper in pairs? How come?" Spencer asked before taking a sip of her bottled water.

"We need to write an essay on why we'd choose to take the blue pill or red pill in that scene from the movie the matrix." Emily answered.

"Ugh. That sucks. Getting Paige as a partner I mean." Spencer said, rolling her eyes in irritation. "It's a good thing you won't have to fight over which pill to take though. Paige would totally choose to take the blue pill."

"No I think she's going to take the red pill." Emily said thoughtfully. "We'd still have to discuss it though. Our choice." She added. "So I won't be able to make it to triple play tonight." She told her friends apologetically. "I promise to host the next two after this one. Let Spencer host tonight instead." She suggested.

"But that would mean having to think of two new films!" Hanna complained.

"Hey compared to Em having to write that paper with Paige you two have it easier." Spencer reminded Aria and Hanna.

"We have to outsmart you. How is that easier?! Can you at least finish the films this time before guessing?" Aria asked, leaning close to Hanna to start talking about movies.

Emily tuned out the rest of the chatter, smiling and nodding her head occasionally to pretend she was still listening. She found herself following Paige's movement as the girl left the cafeteria. If Spencer was right and Paige wanted to take the blue pill, they would end up arguing about it tomorrow. Because taking the blue pill meant staying and she wasn't in a hurry to leave this place anytime soon.

* * *

"Come on. Stay after breakfast." Kayla pleaded for the tenth time as she expertly flipped the pancake she was cooking before turning to face the girl standing next to her.

Paige smiled at Kayla's ease around the kitchen. "You have the makings of a chef." She commented as she tore a piece off one of the pancakes that Kayla stacked on a serving plate and popped it in her mouth. "Sorry but I can't. I have a paper to write with Sniffles then I have to start writing my personal essay for my college applications. Don't you have homework anyway?" She reminded the girl as she began chewing, moving to tear another piece off the pancake she began eating earlier.

Kayla playfully swatted Paige's hand off the pancakes. "Done with it. And hands off breakfast." She warned.

"I can't help it. I'm starving and it's really good." Paige said, making Kayla grin. "And you're lying about being done with your homework. I can tell."

"I'm doing it tomorrow." Kayla promised. "Come on. We can play pool?" She suggested.

"I'm really sorry." Paige said reluctantly.

"Whatever." Kayla replied nonchalantly, finally giving up trying to convince Paige to spend time with her. "You seem to be doing well and if I had known that Emily wasn't going to be able to make it today, I wouldn't have come home this weekend. You know how much I hate staying here." She said, glancing at Paige meaningfully.

Paige sighed. "I do. I'm sorry you're stuck with babysitter duties. You know how your sister is." She said, seemingly hurt.

"What? Come on. I didn't mean for it to sound like that." Kayla said hurriedly. "Yeah she reminded me to look after you. But even if she didn't I still would. I just meant that it sucks that I'm stuck in this house while you write a boring paper." She complained before pouring another perfect portion of the pancake batter in the skillet. "Oh hey. Maybe I can stay over while you and Emily write that paper? I promise I'll behave." She said eagerly.

"The last time you said that I ended up with a huge gash on my knee. Not to mention I had to take an impromptu swim in the pool with my clothes on." Paige reminded Kayla. "I'm not falling for that again."

"I apologized for that countless times!" Kayla protested. "And that was because of the prank I pulled on Em and Jai. I've matured since then. Please? I'm so bored here. All my friends are back in Girard."

"I really can't today Kayla. How about tomorrow?" Paige suggested, trying to make the girl feel better.

"Promise?" Kayla asked, looking at Paige expectantly.

Paige nodded. "Yeah." She answered sincerely.

Kayla beamed. "Cool." She said before looking past Paige when she saw Logan enter the kitchen. "Hey dad." She said in greeting.

Logan looked up from his phone and glanced at his daughter and Paige. "Girls." He said, nodding unobtrusively. "Paige. You're here early." He observed before returning to checking his phone for messages.

"Yeah. Started running early so I decided to help Kayla with breakfast." Paige explained, risking a glance at the girl who was now nervously turning over and over in her hand the spatula she had been using to cook the pancakes.

"Is everything okay?" Logan asked, looking at Paige worriedly.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. Everything's fine. I just wanted to keep trying to improve my times." She said, crossing her fingers behind her.

"I made your favorite." Kayla finally interjected, pointing to the stack of pancakes near Paige. She got up at the crack of dawn to prepare her dad's favorite breakfast, Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes. "Oh. Emily said she won't be able to eat breakfast with us this morning. She and her dad are going hiking." Kayla explained before removing from the skillet the pancake she just finished cooking.

Logan glanced at the stack of pancakes Kayla made. "Then you shouldn't have cooked so many. It's just you and Paige having breakfast this morning. I told you last night that I have a meeting with the board of Rosewood Gen for the trick or treat event next week." He reminded his daughter before looking at his phone again.

"Oh." Kayla uttered, the disappointment in her face unnoticed by her father. She didn't forget about the board meeting. That's why she woke up early in the first place. So they could have breakfast before Logan left.

"Clean up after you're done here." Logan reminded his daughter distractedly.

"Take some to the hospital." Kayla suggested, moving to get a Tupperware from the cupboard.

"I'd rather not." Logan said, making Kayla stop in her tracks. "They're going to serve a heavy breakfast after the meeting. It's best if I go on an empty stomach." He explained.

"You know what?" Paige suddenly said, noticing Kayla's disappointment. "I have an idea. Since we probably won't be able to finish all of these, we could just swing by the homeless shelter after breakfast; make them taste your cooking?" She suggested, looking at Kayla and Logan.

Logan nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good idea Paige. It's something Jai would definitely do if she were here. Glad to know she still inspires people even if she's not around." He said, smiling at them. "Well I'm off. I'll see you later honey." He said before leaving the kitchen without waiting for Kayla's response.

"Yeah." Kayla said quietly. "Have a nice day." She added before facing the kitchen counter to start cleaning up.

Paige took out her phone and hurriedly sent a message to Emily before touching Kayla's arm lightly. "Let's cook a few more batches. I don't think we have enough. They're really good." She added, smiling at the girl.

"It's fine Paige. You need to get home to write that paper with Emily." Kayla reminded the girl as she busied herself with transferring the pancakes she made into a Tupperware. "You should take these with you. Give some to Gwen and to Emily."

"What? No way. I don't want Gwen to feel threatened by your cooking and Sniffles hasn't earned the right to taste your cooking. Those people at the homeless shelter should definitely taste these. I'm not gonna deprive them of that. Sniffles can wait." Paige said reassuringly. "Come on. Show me how you made these then when we have enough let's go to the shelter. Afterwards let's watch a movie or two in your home theatre upstairs. I can write the paper tonight instead. Sounds good?" She asked, changing her plans at the last minute.

Kayla finally smiled. "Maybe we should eat a few first." She suggested timidly.

Paige nodded. "Definitely. I wouldn't say no to that. But let's multitask. Show me while we eat. How do you make them so perfectly round anyway?" She inquired as she moved to finish the pancake she started eating earlier, standing next to Kayla as the girl moved to pour another portion of the batter in the skillet.

"Okay. So the trick is actually in the wrist. You do it like so..." Kayla began, her mood noticeably better as she showed Paige how she made her pancakes.

* * *

At exactly seven that night, Emily unenthusiastically approached the towering house in front of her, checking the address Paige wrote on the piece of paper again. She barely remembered this place and as she stood on the driveway, she almost forgot her irritation at the girl for the sudden change in their plans that morning, unable to believe that Paige lived in a mansion. The girl's house was almost as big as Jai's. She nervously made her way towards the front porch and found the doorbell, ringing it twice. Emily had to remind herself that she still owed Paige an apology as she forced a smile on her face, expecting to see the girl behind the door but a woman in her late 40s with kind eyes and a warm smile answered it instead.

"Oh. Good evening. I'm here for Paige?" Emily said, breaking into a genuine smile.

The woman was about to respond when Paige herself appeared behind her.

"I got it Gwen. Thanks." Paige said, giving the woman a small smile as she moved forward to open the door wider and let Emily in.

Emily timidly entered the house and watched Paige close the door behind her before turning her attention back to the woman.

Gwen smiled at Emily and turned to face Paige. "Should I prepare something for you and..." She said, trailing off as she waited for Paige to introduce her visitor.

Emily knew that Paige wasn't going to say her actual name so she answered for herself before Paige introduced her as Sniffles. "Emily." She provided, smiling at the woman kindly.

"Emily, to eat?" Gwen continued, looking at Paige again.

Paige looked at Emily questioningly. "Have you had dinner yet?" She asked.

Emily nodded. "I ate before I came over." She answered.

"Well just in case." Paige started. "Please bring a bowl of chips and something to drink in my room." She instructed Gwen.

The woman nodded and left the two girls to themselves, heading to the kitchen to prepare the food Paige asked her to bring upstairs. Emily's eyes followed the woman's retreating back for a moment before she turned her attention to Paige.

"Who's Gwen?" Emily asked.

"Housekeeper." Paige answered vaguely.

"It's just you two tonight?" Emily asked, noticing the heavy silence in the spacious house.

"Why? Do you plan on robbing my house?" Paige asked, amused.

Emily shook her head, smiling wryly. "I just thought your dad would be home or something." She admitted, studying Paige. "I was kinda nervous actually. Meeting him in case he's here."

"Don't be. He's usually out of town during weekends. It's just me and Gwen tonight. Whenever he's away Gwen spends nights here." Paige explained.

_I don't want her to be alone_. Jai's words suddenly came back to Emily and as she continued to study Paige, she couldn't help but wonder what the two girls were hiding from her. She managed to give the girl a small smile and forced herself to study the inside of Paige's house instead, not bothering to conceal her awe. "So this is where you live." She began. "It's..."

"Bare?" Paige supplied, looking around them as well.

Emily shook her head. "I was going to say..." She tried again.

"Cold?" Paige finished for the girl.

Emily chuckled. "Will you stop describing your house using negative words? It's amazing." She admitted. She walked towards the console table near the entrance and studied the framed photos of a young Paige and her dad and several of them and Gwen. Emily realized Gwen wasn't merely a housekeeper in Paige's life. She was considered as part of the family but she decided to keep that to herself.

"You and your dad are really close, huh?" Emily said, looking at Paige again.

"Yeah. Although it wasn't always that way." Paige said quietly as she stared at a photo of them on the table. "But I think next to Jai he's my best friend now." She added.

"I'm a daddy's girl myself." Emily admitted, smiling at Paige.

Paige scoffed. "I doubt we have the same idea of the term 'daddy's girl'." She said coolly. "I don't exactly have a complete set of parents remember?"

Emily bit her lower lip, suddenly reminded that she's yet to apologize for the things she said to Paige. "Well at least yours is around most of the time. My dad's in the army so I rarely get a chance to see him." She said lightly.

"Isn't he home now?" Paige asked, looking at Emily curiously. "You two went hiking this morning." She reminded the girl.

Emily nodded. "He is. But it's not enough. He's leaving again before Christmas." She said, smiling sadly. Emily continued to study the photos, noticing something strange. But before she could point it out, Paige spoke up.

"My room's this way." Paige said, knowing what Emily observed. "Come on. I've got the matrix on blu-ray in case we decide to watch that part of the film again." Paige said as she led the way upstairs.

Emily wordlessly followed, studying the framed photos that hung on the walls of the hallway. The photos told a story of a once happy life. Emily observed each frame as she glanced at the photos of a young and cheerful Paige. But the story was incomplete. It was like Paige's life stopped when she was around eight. All the frames held photos of a young Paige. No grown-up ones. And there wasn't a single photo of Paige's mom. It was mostly photos of her and her dad and her and Gwen. _What really happened to her family?_

* * *

Paige pushed the door of her bedroom to let Emily in, holding it open until both of them were inside before releasing it to let it swing close. "We really don't lock doors in this house." She explained when she saw Emily's gaze linger on the door which was missing a knob.

Emily nodded before taking in the girl's bedroom. "So this is your room." She said, looking around the spacious area. "I feel as if I just entered some sort of sacred ground." She admitted. She looked to the far end of the room and saw that Gwen already brought up the bowl of chips and beverages Paige asked for earlier.

"You are. So don't touch anything." Paige warned. "You might accidentally discover my hidden chamber and I'm in the middle of a sacrificial offer when you arrived." She revealed, keeping her expression neutral.

"You're so funny." Emily shot back.

Paige furrowed her brows. "Who said I was kidding?" She asked, confused. When she saw the uncertainty in Emily's eyes, she continued. "Oh don't worry. You're perfectly safe. I only offer virgins." Paige said reassuringly.

Emily rolled her eyes and chose to ignore Paige's remark, knowing if she protested Paige would make fun of her again, this time for not putting out for her best friend when they've been together for almost three years. "My room can fit in your room." She said instead, starting to study Paige's things. She walked towards the girl's bureau and felt her lips curl into a smile.

"Who's this little guy?" Emily asked as she faced Paige and held up a stuffed toy of an orange monkey with yellow lips wearing a greenish tan T-shirt, bright red neckerchief, black pants/shoes, and greenish tan beanie hat with blue stripe.

"It's Lazlo." Paige explained. "Of Camp Lazlo? Cartoon Network?" She said when she saw Emily's confused look.

"Okay but why do you have this? I didn't peg you to be the type of girl who's into stuffed toys. What, you're crazy about monkeys?" Emily asked as she started playing with the stuffed toy.

"It's a spidermonkey." Paige corrected, starting to get uncomfortable. "Now put him down and let's get to work."

"That doesn't really answer my question." Emily said teasingly.

Paige rolled her eyes. "It's a gift." She answered. "Will you please stop going through my stuff?!" Paige exclaimed.

"Hey. You've been in my room. Twice." Emily reminded the girl. "I'm just making the most out of my visit to yours." She said smugly.

"Need I remind you that you and my best friend threw me out of your room as soon as my feet landed inside? I hardly had time to look at your prized possessions the first time I was in there! And I was too busy setting up for your webcam birthday party with my best friend to look around the second time so stop going through my stuff!" Paige exclaimed in frustration, making Emily laugh. "Will you just come over here so we could start this paper?" She asked as she gestured for Emily to join her at her study table.

"It's your fault we're starting this thing late." Emily reminded the girl as she put down the stuffed toy and walked over to Paige, sitting on the chair the girl offered her. "If I had known that you were going to cancel on me I would've insisted we meet tonight instead. I ended up canceling triple play with my friends." She revealed, still annoyed at the sudden change in their plans.

"It's not like I planned to cancel on you on purpose. Like I said when I texted you this morning, something came up." Paige explained.

"Yeah. That's one other thing. That's probably the worst explanation I've ever gotten." Emily blurted out. "Something came up? Seriously? _What_ came up?" She asked.

Paige sighed. "Kayla and I..." She began.

"Again?!" Emily exclaimed, exasperated. "Paige I know it's not my business but what's the real deal between you two? Do you like her or something?"

"What?" Paige asked disbelievingly. "It's not like that okay? Kayla needed me this morning. I wasn't planning on spending time with her today. But something came up and I changed my mind." She insisted.

"_What came up_?" Emily asked again.

"It doesn't concern you." Paige said earnestly. "I apologize for ruining whatever triple play is supposed to be. Let's just write the paper okay?" She asked, suddenly exhausted.

"Okay." Emily agreed, feeling as if they were on the brink of getting into another fight and she didn't want that to happen so she decided to let the matter drop. "And triple play is sort of a movie marathon. My friends and I do it once a month." She explained. "I can't stay long by the way. Let's just decide who writes which paper then meet on Monday morning to discuss our papers before we submit it. I want to get home before Jai calls." She said, touching the locket on her necklace instinctively.

"Don't you two ever run out of things to talk about?" Paige asked, exasperated.

"Not really. I don't expect you to understand but I like telling her about my day and hearing about hers." Emily explained, her hand absentmindedly playing with the locket.

"_Really_. So how come Jai asked me this morning if you're mad at her for asking you to go to L.A.? She said you haven't answered her calls since we came back from California." Paige stated, studying Emily closely. When the girl didn't say anything, she continued. "You don't have to worry. I didn't tell her about what happened and I'm not planning to. Like I said, I'd rather forget the whole thing. You can tell her whatever you want." She said dismissively. "She's worried sick so will you just talk to her? Tell her what you had for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ask her what she had for dessert. Tell her how work was. Let her tell you about how the professors at King's think she's the brightest intern they've seen in years." She rambled on. "Just start talking or something. It must be killing you, not being able to talk to her for days."

Emily nodded. "It is. But it's not just about talking. Sometimes I just want to hear her voice." She explained wryly. "Don't you miss her?"

"I do." Paige admitted. "I guess just not as much as you." She added, glancing at the locket on Emily's necklace.

Emily noticed Paige watching her play with the locket and she forced her hand to let go of it. "Okay." She said, taking a deep breath. "Mr. Roberts said one of us should take the blue pill and the other the red pill." Emily began. "I choose..."

"Blue pill." They said at the same time.

"I'm writing about the blue pill." Emily repeated.

"I want to write about the blue pill!" Paige insisted.

"You know that taking the blue pill means staying in the matrix." Emily reminded the girl.

"So?" Paige asked.

"So this is the matrix. Why would you want to stay here?" Emily asked cautiously. She really thought Paige would insist on taking the red pill when she remembered the pain she saw in the girl's eyes when they were in California and at the airport when they bid goodbye to Jai. "This is the illusion."

"No this is my reality. I want to take the blue pill to go to the illusion." Paige explained.

Emily shook her head emphatically. "It doesn't work that way! Mr. Roberts said this is the matrix. If you take the blue pill you stay here. The red wakes you up." She insisted.

"What? No. He said this is the matrix. That's it. Whether this is your illusion or your reality is up to you. That's the whole point. If this is your reality, you take the blue pill and you wake up to the illusion. The red, you stay here." Paige reasoned out.

"No. That's not the way it works! The blue pill lets you stay. The red wakes you up." Emily repeated, getting fed up with Paige's hardheadedness.

"Why can't it be my way? I'm the one taking the pill." Paige said stubbornly.

"Unless you're the long-lost sister of the Wachowski brothers, you don't have a say in it. That's the way they made the film. Stick to it!" Emily reprimanded the girl. She watched Paige furrow her brows in concentration, thinking about which pill to take now. "So which pill do you want?" Emily asked after a moment of silence passed between them.

"Blue pill." Paige stated.

Emily stared at Paige disbelievingly. "Still?!" She asked.

"He said there is no right or wrong answer." Paige reminded the girl. "I'm taking the blue pill." She repeated.

"No I'm taking the blue pill!" Emily insisted.

Paige sighed. "Okay Jai isn't here to mediate so we have to settle this fast before we end up spending the entire night arguing." She said, not wanting to fight with the girl seriously again.

"How do you suggest we do that?" Emily asked.

Paige looked around her room and saw a deck of cards on her study table. She quickly took it and shuffled it. "Higher card takes the blue pill." She said before placing the stack of cards between them. She and Emily both drew one card from the stack. "What did you get?" Paige asked.

"You first." Emily said, grinning smugly.

Paige rolled her eyes, annoyed at Emily's arrogance. "I got a two." Paige said, facing her card up reluctantly.

Emily eyes twinkled with laughter. "I guess I'm taking the blue pill." She declared as she turned face up the ace of hearts card.

Paige stared at the card incredulously. "What? No way! Two is higher than one! I get the blue pill!" She corrected.

Emily shook her head. "Everyone knows ace is the highest card." She stated. "You go two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king, _ace_." She emphasized.

Paige scoffed. "No. It's _ace_, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king!" She exclaimed, not willing to let Emily get her way.

They glared at each other for a moment before looking away. "Ugh." They said at the same time, frustrated.

Emily glanced at Paige, biting her lower lip before speaking. "Rock, paper, scissors?" She asked hesitantly.

* * *

"You do realize it's irrational to bring a bike to school and then walk beside it instead of ride in it. I mean, what's the point?" Emily asked as she and Paige walked to school on Monday morning.

After a few more bickering about who writes for which pill last Saturday night, they finally agreed to write for both instead and meet early Monday to decide which paper to submit once they get a chance to read each other's work. Emily came over to Paige's house again but because they spent most of the morning bickering once again after reading the other's paper, they ended up wasting time and before they knew it, it was time to go to school.

"The point is I get to strut my bike around town. Let people admire it." Paige explained as she examined every inch of her bike for scratch marks.

"Showoff." Emily muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

"Besides, I ride it on my way home." Paige continued, choosing to ignore Emily's comment.

Emily laughed. "That makes much less sense. You're not in a hurry to go home so that's the right time to walk beside your bike." She argued.

"But I don't go home in the afternoon. I mean not right away. I have to go somewhere first and it's far so I need to ride my bike." Paige explained.

"Where do you go?" Emily asked nonchalantly. She still wanted to get to know Paige and if the girl kept refusing to engage in actual conversations with her, she figured she'd observe the girl's actions and read between the lines instead. But even that wasn't easy.

"You're not my friend so I don't need to tell you." Paige said stubbornly. She glanced to her left at the girl walking beside her. "Why are you walking with me to school again?" She asked.

"Because we couldn't decide which papers to submit." Emily reminded her. "I had to tell my friends to go ahead or they're going to be late as well. Since I'm at your house anyway, I thought we might as well walk to school together." She explained. "Like friends." She added.

"But we're not friends." Paige argued.

"I'm trying here." Emily said, stopping to face Paige.

"Don't. It's pointless." Paige stated, facing Emily as well. "You and I..." She stopped mid-sentence when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Acting fast, she stepped forward much to Emily's surprise. "Watch it!" Paige suddenly exclaimed when she saw a boy riding his skateboard whizz past behind Emily. Before she knew what she was doing, she was gripping Emily firmly on the arm, pulling the girl away from walking too close to the street.

Not used to being touched by the girl, Emily gasped at the sudden contact, seeming to recoil from Paige's touch. This was the first time she and Paige had actual physical contact and she was so surprised that she flinched.

"Watch where you're going!" Paige yelled after the boy who just waved his hand behind him in apology. She turned her attention back to Emily to ask if the girl was fine but she saw Emily staring at her hand which was still gripping the girl's arm. She suddenly became aware of Emily's discomfort about their proximity and she quickly removed her hand. "Sorry." Paige muttered, embarrassed. "You should stay on this part of the sidewalk. It's safer." She said quietly before changing places with Emily.

"Thanks." Emily said when she finally found her voice, mentally berating herself for flinching when Paige touched her. "Sorry. I was just caught off guard when you..."

"It's fine." Paige interrupted, shrugging. "No harm done. You pretty much tell me I'm repulsive, right? Shouldn't surprise me that when I touch you you'd flinch. You have our papers, right?" She asked as she got on her bike. "Submit my red one and your blue one like we talked about. I'll see you at school Sniffles. Don't walk too close to the pavement. Jai is going to kill me if you get so much as a scratch on you." She reminded the girl before pedaling away.

* * *

"Wow. You look like medusa." Hanna said in greeting the moment Emily sat down beside her to join them for lunch.

"Thanks." Emily said, smiling wryly as she ran a hand through her hair, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Relax. You're medusa's way too distant relative. You could turn _her_ into stone." Aria said reassuringly, smiling at the girl seated in front of her. "What happened anyway? You look sleep-deprived and it's just Monday."

"Had to pull an all-nighter to write that paper for my film and lit class." Emily reminded her friends.

"Yeah that's what I don't get when you told us not to wait for you this morning. Didn't you and Paige write that paper last Saturday?" Spencer asked from beside Aria.

Emily stifled a yawn. "We were supposed to meet Saturday morning to write it but then she had to cancel at the last minute. Don't ask." She added when she saw her friends' looks of disbelief. "We met that night instead but I wanted to get home before Jai called so instead of writing the paper together, I told her we should just decide who writes for which pill and then meet today before we submit it to Mr. Roberts. But then we couldn't decide who writes for which pill." She explained.

"So what did you two do? Grab each other's hair?!" Spencer exclaimed, concerned. "With Jai gone that couldn't have been easy."

Emily shook her head, smiling wryly. "No, it wasn't. Turns out we both wanted the same pill. We tried drawing cards. The one with the higher card gets it. But then I drew an ace and we can't decide whether it's higher or lower than her two. Drawing another card was pointless since that won't answer the question of which card was really higher the first time. So then I suggested we play rock, paper, scissors."

"How did that one turn out?" Hanna asked, amused.

Emily sighed. "It's like we could read each other's minds. When I do rock, she does rock, when I do paper, she does paper. Drawing straws didn't seem fair since if one of us tore the strips of paper we'd know which is the longest. Rolling the dice didn't get us anywhere. Finally she suggested we write for both, exchange works after and pick which is better." She concluded.

"That actually worked?" Aria asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Unfortunately it took me all night to write two papers. It's like I didn't have a partner for the assignment. I ended up arguing with myself." Emily said, exasperated. "If the paper had to be submitted by the end of the week it would have been fine. Challenging yourself to think why you'd want the blue and the red. But because we had to submit it today I didn't have time to write a good one." She admitted.

"I think you're still gonna get an A, Em. Don't sweat it." Spencer said reassuringly. "So who ended up with which pill?"

"I submitted my paper on the red pill, Paige got the blue. I read her paper on the red and it was..." Emily said, trailing off.

"Full of crap?" Hanna supplied.

Emily shook her head. "No. It was good. Both her papers were good." She admitted as her eyes caught sight of Paige entering the cafeteria. "It was just different from the rest. Mr. Roberts would give her a failing grade if she insisted on her version of the matrix. I had to submit her blue one." She explained, only telling them half the truth as to why she changed the papers at the last minute. She needed to talk to Paige later and tell the girl of her decision.

"It makes much more sense that you'd submit your paper on the red pill anyway." Aria commented. "Paige still can't seem to accept the reality that she has to share Jai with you."

Spencer smiled. "You noticed that too, huh?" She said wryly. "I thought I was the only one who was thinking that Paige is so horrible to Em because she feels threatened. Jai is like, her _only_ friend. Em entering Jai's life mustn't have been easy on her."

"It's not like that." Emily said, studying Paige from the corner of her eye. "Believe me. She's not threatened. And you guys are great friends for always having my back. But I'm trying to be her friend. For Jai's sake. So can you all please try to be nice to her?" She pleaded.

"We can try." Hanna said, exchanging wary looks with Spencer and Aria. "But if she so much as hurts a lock of hair on that medusa head of yours all hell is gonna break loose." She promised.

Emily laughed. "Thank you but please stop with the medusa comment!" She exclaimed. "She's not so bad." She added earnestly, refusing to explain what she just said to her friends as her eyes met Paige's briefly from across the room.

* * *

Paige absentmindedly went about placing things inside her duffel bag, in a hurry to leave the locker room after swim practice. She had a couple of hours to spare before her appointment later this afternoon and she wanted to run a few miles to pass the time. She was so out of it that she jumped back in surprise when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she rolled her eyes when she found herself face to face with Emily.

"See? I told you it caught me off guard." Emily said, giving the girl a small smile before removing her hand from Paige's shoulder. "I didn't mean to startle you. I just came over to say I'm sorry about earlier. I was just surprised. That was the first time you were that close to me." She explained.

"And like I said, it's not a big deal." Paige insisted, returning to what she was doing.

"Can you stop for a second?" Emily asked, moving to stand beside Paige's locker. "I need to tell you something." She said nervously.

Paige checked the time on her watch and nodded, placing the rest of her things inside her bag before closing the door of her locker and facing Emily. "Talk fast." She demanded.

Emily nodded. "Don't be mad but that paper you wrote. Why you want to take the blue pill. I submitted yours at the last minute. Not mine." She confessed anxiously.

"Why?" Paige asked, confused. "I thought we decided yours was better?"

Emily sighed and sat down on one of the wooden locker room benches, licking her lips uneasily before looking up at Paige. "You said you know me. Why do you think I changed it?" She asked quietly.

Paige studied Emily for a moment before taking a seat beside the girl, her duffel bag the only thing separating them. "Because admitting that you don't want to wake up from this reality is not something people would expect of you. You think they expect you to be brave. Face everything head on." She guessed.

Emily nodded subtly, ashamed. "Your reason for taking the blue pill is better anyway. Staying because you believe that things will somehow get better eventually." She added.

Paige scoffed. "It's not better. It makes me feel like I'm a coward for refusing to wake up." She corrected.

Emily smiled warily. "So does mine." She admitted. "Those things you said to me. Back in L.A. After I read your paper I was actually surprised that you still thought that way. Despite the pain I saw in your eyes. You still chose to take the blue pill for that reason and it's… admirable." Emily said, finally finding the word she was looking for.

"Well I saw your paper on the red pill. It's good. You were right to submit it." Paige said, staring at the row of lockers in front of them.

"But it's not me. The reason I wanted to take that red pill. That's the kind of reason teachers want to read. A reason written to get an A plus. It speaks of bravery. But it's not me. Those things I said in the paper… it's not how I really feel." Emily said quietly. She looked at Paige. "You said you know me. The real me. So you know that I'm a coward for not wanting to give all of this up for something that isn't certain. What if I take the red pill and I don't like what I wake up to? Yours was better. Both the blue and red pill arguments." She said sincerely.

"How come?" Paige asked, turning to face Emily.

"Because when you finally listened to me and tried to see things from Mr. Roberts' perspective, your reason remained the same. Either way, whether you took the red or blue one. Yours was one of hope. The reason why you'd take either pill. If you took the blue, hope that when you wake up and stayed, things will get better. And if you took the red, hope that things are better on the other side. Yours was better." Emily admitted, not bothering to hide her awe with Paige's way of thinking.

Paige shrugged. "I've been through so much crap I figured it could only get better." She said dismissively, focusing her attention on the row of lockers once again. They sat in heavy silence for a moment before Paige spoke up again. "And I don't think it's not you entirely. The one who was brave enough to take that red pill." She added. "I think it's the you you hope to be one day. I think that matters too. That takes a lot of courage and right now you're just not ready. But it doesn't mean you're a coward for choosing to stay. I would too if I had your life." She admitted, meeting Emily's gaze. "One would be crazy to want to wake up. You have everything you want here. Happy family, fiercely loyal friends, stable and loving relationship with someone who's got everything figured out. I understand why you'd want to stay. It doesn't make you a coward. And I think one day you'll find the courage to take that red pill. When it truly matters, you'd take that leap of faith."

Emily gave Paige a grateful smile. For a moment she felt like she was seeing part of the real Paige again and she was starting to understand what Jai kept telling her. When Paige wasn't being a jerk to her, the girl had her shining moments. She took a deep breath before speaking. "Paige I'm really sorry. For everything I said in L.A. I know you don't want me to apologize and that you just want to forget what happened. But I can't. Because you deserve that apology. So I'm sorry." She said sincerely.

Paige nodded. "Well I never apologized too. For what happened at Jai's going away party. When Kayla and I barged in. We didn't mean to interrupt anything." She added.

"You weren't." Emily said firmly.

"And I wasn't making fun of you. I was making fun of Jai. I'm sorry if it seemed like I was using that situation to get a rise out of you. I wasn't." Paige continued.

Emily suddenly grinned. "So does this mean we're friends now?" She asked hopefully.

"What?" Paige exclaimed. "No we're not. We'll _never_ be friends." She insisted, shaking her head stubbornly. "Nope. Not friends."

"I think we're almost there." Emily declared optimistically, making Paige shake her head harder. "So as almost friends, can I ask you something?" She asked hesitantly.

"We're not almost friends." Paige insisted. She sighed when she saw Emily's anxious look. "What's the question? Spit it out. I'm gonna be late."

Emily grinned. "It's about Kayla. You said you had to cancel on me because something important came up. Something that involves Kayla. And she's home a lot lately. I mean, since Jai left." She began.

Paige groaned inwardly. She didn't like where the conversation was heading. "I guess. What's it to you?" She asked, waiting for Emily's question.

"Nothing. It's just that when Jai was around she practically had to beg Kayla to get on the bus to visit her and their dad during the weekend." Emily continued.

"Your point being?" Paige inquired warily.

"I just think there's a reason why she's always home during the weekend even if Jai isn't here." Emily said, a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. It was time Paige realized how Kayla felt about her.

"Like?" Paige asked. She didn't like the way Emily was staring at her.

"You." Emily stated.

"Me?" Paige uttered, wondering if Emily figured out her secret.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. I think Kayla really fancies you." She finally blurted out.

Paige snorted, relieved that Emily was still in the dark. "_Fancies_ me? What era are you from? No one uses that word anymore." She taunted.

"So you know she has a thing for you." Emily said, ignoring Paige's attempt to change the subject.

"No. I doubt Kayla likes me that way." Paige said wryly.

"Why not?" Emily asked, confused.

"Have you seen me?" Paige asked, looking at Emily incredulously.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. You're stunning. She'd be crazy not to notice it." She said matter-of-factly. She suddenly felt self-conscious when she noticed that Paige wasn't looking at her anymore. "What's wrong? Do I have something on my mouth?" She asked as she brought her hand to her lips to touch it.

Paige shook her head. "No." She answered, managing to keep her voice normal despite the sudden quickening of her pulse.

"So. Now that you know. Are you going to ask her out?" Emily asked.

"Because you think she fancies me? No." Paige replied as she shook her head for emphasis, willing her brain to function and forget what Emily just said to her.

"Why not? You look good together." Emily stated.

Paige sighed. "One, Jai's going to kill me if I dare even look at Kayla that way. Two, like I told Jai, she's not my type." She explained, tired of saying those words over and over again.

"Well one, Jai thinks you're going to break her sister's heart that's why she told you to stay away. Get past that and you're free to date her. And two, just give it a try. Maybe she is exactly your type." Emily said encouragingly.

"No thanks." Paige said, shaking her head.

"Come on." Emily persisted.

"Will you please stop trying to set me up with Jai's younger sister? It's like incest." Paige explained, starting to get annoyed.

Emily studied Paige for a moment before breaking into a grin. "I think you like someone that's why you're not making a move." She began.

"I don't." Paige shot back, willing herself to stay calm.

"Yes you do. You were thinking about her just now!" Emily exclaimed, suddenly eager to know who the girl is.

"What?! I'm not!" Paige protested weakly.

Emily laughed. "Just tell me who it is. Come on. Just tell me her name." She coaxed.

"Emily just drop it." Paige pleaded, instantly realizing what she just did as she met Emily's eyes uneasily, hoping the girl would overlook the slipup just now.

Emily saw the fear in Paige's eyes and chose to ignore what just happened. "Why won't you tell me her name?" She asked after a beat, her voice unusually hoarse as she pretended not to notice that Paige just said her name for the first time. She didn't know what to make of it and why Paige seemed so terrified just now.

"I'd rather not." Paige said, looking away.

"Why?" Emily asked, willing the girl to talk to her.

"She's not available and she's way out of my league." Paige explained quietly.

"Paige I still don't know you that well… but the part of you I've seen? I find it hard to believe that this girl won't fall for you." Emily said gently.

Paige sighed. "Like I said, she's not available. Regardless of what you hear about me, I am not one to ruin a relationship. It doesn't even matter if she could fall for me or not. I'm not going to make a move when it's clear she's with someone." She said adamantly.

"Wow. You really have it bad for this girl. As your almost friend, I have to meet her and tell her what she's missing out on." Emily declared, trying to lighten the mood between them but it backfired instead.

Paige stood up abruptly. "If there's nothing else, I'm gonna go ahead. I'll see you around." She said tersely, zipping her duffel bag close and slinging the strap on her shoulder. She hurriedly made her way towards the door, not risking another glance at the confused girl she left behind.

Emily followed Paige's retreating back, bewildered by the girl's odd behavior just now. _What was that about?_ She thought to herself as she stood up and left the locker room as well. _And why did Paige look so scared when she said my name?_

* * *

Paige forced her feet to run faster, attempting to clear her mind of all thoughts of Emily Fields as she concentrated on the trail she chose to run this afternoon. Their conversation earlier made her feel flustered and she had a feeling she was losing another battle. As she jumped over a piece of protruding rock, Paige found herself thinking more and more about the conversation they had earlier. About Kayla having a thing for her. But that little piece of information didn't bother her. It didn't bother her at all. Because Kayla having a thing for her was cute. She never saw Jai's little sister that way and she knew it was just a harmless crush. It didn't bother Paige. What bothered her was Emily's candid answer as to why Kayla would have a thing for her.

_Have you seen me?_

_Yeah, you're stunning._

Paige almost lost her balance but she had been running for most of her life to know how to stop herself from stumbling. Recovering, she continued to run, choosing a less challenging path. A smoother, less complicated trail as she ran again.

_You're stunning._

Paige finally stopped running. It was futile. Trying to run away from something when it already caught up to her. Resting her hands on her knees as she leaned forward to catch her breath, she checked the time on her watch. _Fifteen minutes_. She had been running for merely fifteen minutes. Usually this much running wasn't enough to make her heart race so fast. Paige sighed, feeling a sense of dread overwhelm her. Her heart was racing and she knew it wasn't because of all the running she just did.

_You're stunning._

Paige swallowed hard. _Damn it_. She cursed herself inwardly. It caught up to her. She didn't know when or how. But somehow it caught up to her. The feelings she had for the insanely beautiful and completely off limits Emily Fields she thought were long gone found a way to catch up to her and she had a feeling she will never be able to outrun it again.


	5. mutantur : chapter v

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

_**So after this chapter I'm gonna go on a one week break. Not because of work (well kinda because of it too) but because of a mini time jump in the story. Chapter VI of Part I is gonna start a few months later and I can't explain it... but I feel as if a one week hiatus is necessary to the flow of the story. Now and then I'm gonna go on a one week hiatus. Once Part I ends I'm gonna go on another break before posting the first chapter of Part II. And I really can't explain why, **__**LOL**__**. I just feel comfortable doing that sort of thing for this fic.**_

_**Nae10, iowahawx, jme2887 & tvb123... Thanks for the P**__**M.**_

* * *

**PART ONE: "Mutantur Omnia Nos Et Mutamur In Illis"**

_~ All things change, and we change with them. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

"Come on. Come on. Come on. Pick up." Paige muttered under her breath as she restlessly drummed the fingers of her right hand on the surface of her study table.

The second Paige got home from her appointment, she bolted to her room and grabbed the handset of the cordless phone sitting on top of her desk. Before Jai left for London, she insisted that Paige know the phone number of the Figueroas, the family she'll be staying with during her internship. Paige initially protested saying she didn't plan on calling her best friend while she's there but Jai told her to memorize it in case of emergencies. Well this is an emergency. A big one.

"Hey. It's me." Paige blurted out the second the person at the other end of the line picked up. "Is Jai busy? I really need to talk to her." She said urgently.

Paige exhaled the breath she didn't know she was holding in all this time once the person at the other end of the line assured her that Jai wasn't too busy to take her call then went to get her best friend. She ran a hand through her hair before pinching the corners of her mouth with her thumb and middle finger, trying to calm her nerves as she waited for Jai to get to the phone.

"When are you getting back?" Paige said into the phone anxiously as soon as she heard Jai's voice at the other end of the line.

"Oh my god Paige I thought something horrible happened!" Jai exclaimed. "I said call me if there's an emergency!"

"This _is_ an emergency." Paige insisted. Getting restless, she stood up and began pacing the length of her room. "When are you getting back?" She repeated.

"Paige I just left last month." Jai reminded her best friend.

Paige nodded several times, closing her eyes in distress. "I know. But when are you getting back?" She asked once again.

"Do you miss me that much already?" Jai asked, laughing.

"If I say yes will you hop on a plane now and come home? You need to come home." Paige pleaded.

"What's wrong?" Jai asked, suddenly aware of the strain in Paige's voice. "Are you alone? Ask Emily to come over if you are." She suggested worriedly.

"No!" Paige exclaimed. "I mean, I'm not. Alone. My dad's here. I'm fine." She said reassuringly, now starting to feel like an idiot for calling.

"Then what's wrong?" Jai asked, confused. "What's the emergency?"

"Sorry." Paige muttered after a moment of silence. "It's just that your girlfriend is starting to make my life crazy." She said, running a hand through her hair once again.

"Is this about the bet? Em told me you lost the energy bar versus granola bar wager. Do you want me to come back so you can stop eating that thing you claim tastes like mulched paper?" Jai asked teasingly.

"Hey it's not a mere opinion. It's an irrefutable fact. That thing tastes like mulched paper." Paige insisted. "I should know. I've eaten enough to last me until you come back _then_ leave _then_ come back from your next internship. But that's not the reason."

"Em is." Jai concluded. "Paige she's perfect. I don't see what your problem is with her."

_That's the problem_. "Whatever. I still don't see her appeal." Paige muttered as she forced herself to stop thinking about Jai's girlfriend. "Will you please get your ass back here already?" She begged.

"Still a few more months to go Paige." Jai said apologetically.

Paige sighed as she sat on the edge of her bed. "Ugh. You owe me for this." She said, suddenly feeling drained.

"I know. I promise I'll make it up to you when I get back. Just please try to be nicer to my girlfriend okay?" Jai pleaded.

_My girlfriend_. "Okay." Paige answered; the two words Jai said yanking her back to reality.

"Thanks. I'll talk to you again soon." Jai promised.

"Okay." Paige said again before finally ending the call. She stared at the phone she held in her hand for a moment before leaning back to lie down on her bed, her gaze automatically transfixed to the immaculate ceiling. A mental image of Emily's twinkling brown eyes and teasing gorgeous smile popped in her mind and she groaned out loud.

"Damn it." Paige whispered helplessly.

* * *

"I'm really sorry I wasn't able to answer your call last night." Emily said into her phone as she slowed down a bit to let her friends walk ahead of her. She and her friends were on their way to school on Tuesday morning and following her and Paige's conversation yesterday afternoon, Emily was hoping to get another chance to speak with the girl to find out if Paige saying her name wasn't a mistake. "The annual trick or treat is this Thursday and between that, homework and trying to catch up with the lessons I missed, I was so tired I ended up falling asleep while waiting for your call. I'm so sorry." She repeated.

"It's fine Em." Jai said reassuringly. "I'm just relieved you're talking to me again. I know how busy you are right now."

"But not too busy for you." Emily corrected her girlfriend. "And I was never mad. I just didn't want to talk to you and tell you that Paige and I fought again without being able to tell you that we managed to fix things." She reminded her. "I didn't want you to worry more than you already are."

"It's my fault. I really shouldn't have asked you to go. I was just really worried about the two of them being alone for days." Jai said apologetically.

"Jai you didn't know what was going to happen. I didn't either. Don't blame yourself." Emily said as she gestured for her friends to go ahead when they got to the school entrance. "Besides. Paige and I had a talk about it. We're okay." She added as her eyes set their sights on Jai's best friend who was busy trying to lock her bike near the school entrance.

"That's really good to hear." Jai said, the relief evident in her voice. "About that. Is everything okay with her? She called me last night and I told her to do that only when there's an emergency. She seems really stressed out and she kept asking when I'm coming home. Did something happen?"

Emily studied Paige, debating whether or not to tell Jai that Paige called her by her name and seemed so scared when she did. "Um, she seems fine the last time I talked to her." She finally answered, deciding not to tell her girlfriend just yet what recently happened in case it was just a fluke. She didn't want Jai to force Paige to call her by her name. She'd rather Jai's best friend do it willingly. "She's been a big help with the preparations for the annual trick or treat actually. Although of course she's merely doing it to add to her list of extracurricular activities to get into UPenn." Emily said absentmindedly as she moved to approach Paige.

"UPenn?" Jai's confused voice at the other end of the line made Emily stop in her tracks. "Paige didn't tell me she was applying to UPenn. When did that happen?"

Emily momentarily closed her eyes and mentally kicked herself for her slip up. _Perfect_. _I just gave Paige motive to commit murder_. "Um, she didn't tell you?" She asked nervously.

"No. She didn't. Is that the reason why she seems so stressed out lately?" Jai asked, worried.

"Jai I really think she should be the one to tell you about that. It's none of my business. I just found out about it accidentally." Emily admitted as she started walking to approach Paige again. "I don't even know the whole story. I'm just helping her get in because she asked for my help."

"You're right. The last thing I want is to put you in the middle of things again. I'll just ask her about it tonight." Jai decided. "And thanks. For helping her. Spend more time with her if you can. I still get worried even if I know she can take care of herself." She confessed.

"I know. But don't worry. I think we're starting to get along actually." Emily said as she raised her right hand to wave at Paige when she saw the girl glance her way, their eyes making contact. She smiled and was about to call out to Jai's best friend but Paige turned her back to her and hurriedly headed inside. _That's weird. I could've sworn she saw me just now. What's up with her?_ "So. Any plans for our third anniversary tomorrow?" She asked, putting Paige's odd behavior just now at the back of her mind.

"You mean other than think about you all day and mindlessly do more research then go to bed still thinking of you and how much it sucks that we're not together? No. I don't have any plans." Jai said lightly. "How about you?"

"You mean other than think about you all day and mindlessly go to school and finalize things for the trick or treat event then go to bed still thinking of you and how much it sucks that we're not together? No. I don't have any plans either." Emily said, smiling sadly.

"You should go out, Em. Have dinner with your friends." Jai suggested. "I don't want you to be alone tomorrow."

"I'm not really in the mood to go out and I'm too busy anyway." Emily said as she entered Rosewood High and made her way to her locker. "But you should take your own advice. Go out. Have dinner with the Figueroas. At least one of us should be celebrating."

"I'm not in the mood too." Jai admitted. "But it's a special day and I think we should make a deal not to wallow and be miserable tomorrow. We should find a way to celebrate our three years together."

"How are we supposed to do that when we're so far apart?" Emily asked, curious.

"It doesn't have to be romantic. In the three years that we've been together we did a lot of good things. So I was thinking, why not celebrate by doing three of those things tomorrow?" Jai asked eagerly.

Emily smiled. "Like one good deed for each year that we've been together." She said slowly. "I like it."

"And we can do it with a friend, a family member or even a random stranger. That way they get to help out too." Jai suggested. "We've just been so blessed Em. Finding each other and having all these amazing people in our lives. I just want to be able to do something good especially tomorrow to repay the universe or something." She admitted.

"I know. And I'm totally onboard with it. Although I think it's just going to make me miss you even more." Emily said as she opened the door of her locker to take some of the books she would need for her morning classes. "So what are your three deeds?" She asked.

"How about we make it a surprise? I'll call you tomorrow night and we'll exchange stories. Let's see if we did at least one thing in common." Jai explained.

"And if we did?" Emily asked, breaking into an eager smile. "Will you come home soon? I really miss you."

Jai chuckled. "I'm working on it." She promised. "I miss you too. So are you in?"

"I am." Emily said gamely. "I can't wait to talk to you again tomorrow night. I love you."

"I love you too. Have a great day today." Jai said before ending the call.

Emily stared at the phone in her hand, suddenly looking forward to their anniversary tomorrow. She and Jai did a lot of good things in their three years together. Picking three is going to be hard but she knew her girlfriend so well that she has an idea what one of those things was going to be. Now it was only a matter of whether or not she could convince Paige to do it with her.

* * *

Paige checked the time on her watch before reluctantly returning her attention to Emily who was currently standing in front of the room, talking to the rest of the members of the social committee. She dreaded coming to the meeting this afternoon because that meant having to sit and stare and give her complete attention to Emily and she was having a hard time enough as it is to stop thinking about the girl. But the trick or treat event was just a day away and she knew how important the event is to Emily. As the girl discussed the final details of the activity, Paige couldn't help but be impressed with Emily's leadership skills. She got the undivided attention of the group and she knew how to delegate the responsibilities so that each of the members played a role to the success of the event.

"So assembly time is at six and the trick or treating starts at seven." Emily reminded the members of her committee. "It is your responsibility to make sure that the volunteers each of you signed up for the event know their routes and that they have with them someone from the orphanage or the hospital where the kids they would take trick or treating come from." She continued. "You have their contact numbers, make sure they have yours in case of an emergency. I'll be here in school with Chloe and Greg to make sure that everything's setup for when the kids get back." She added, nodding to the two people seated in the front row. "The rest of you can either go with one of the volunteers or patrol the streets just in case something comes up. I'll check in with all of you once a while."

Emily paused to look at everyone and noticed that Paige was seated at the far end of the room, practically slouched on the table of her armchair, looking like she'd rather be anywhere but there. All day she had been trying to get Paige to talk to her but the girl kept running in the opposite direction. This time she's going to make sure that Paige won't be able to bolt. She casually made her way towards the back of the room, her progress gone unnoticed by Paige as the girl leaned forward and rested her forehead on her arm.

"If there are no questions the meeting's adjourned." Emily said when she was finally standing in front of Paige, making the girl look up at her in surprise. "Are we boring you or something?" She asked as everyone got up to leave the room, leaving the two of them alone.

Paige didn't answer Emily's question and instead looked down on the floor to get her bag, preparing to leave. She stood up and found herself standing too close to the girl that she held her breath, scared to breathe in Emily's scent.

"Did I do something wrong?" Emily asked, taking a step back. "Yesterday we had an actual conversation. Then you bolted and you've been avoiding me the whole day." When Paige refused to speak up, she decided to talk about something else. "I don't know if you know this but tomorrow's a special day for me and Jai. It's our third anniversary and to celebrate she had this idea of doing three things we did in those three years with anyone since we can't do it together." She paused, waiting for Paige to say something, like insult her or make fun of her, maybe even mockingly suggest going on a date, kissing, and cuddling with someone as the three things she could do, but the girl just kept staring at the floor.

"Anyway, I thought we could do those three things. Jai asked me to spend more time with you and I thought it's perfect timing. What do you think?" Emily asked timidly.

Paige slowly let out the breath she was holding in before forcing herself to act indifferent as she finally looked at Emily. "I think I don't have time to do the things you and Jai do. Why don't you ask one of your friends instead?" She said dismissively.

"Because I want to spend time with you." Emily repeated. "Jai's really worried. She said you called her last night and you seemed so stressed out."

"Jai's worried. Like that's supposed to be news." Paige shot back, annoyed. "Why would I want to spend tomorrow with you when it's your anniversary?"

"Because I miss Jai and I know you miss her too." Emily answered. "Otherwise you won't ask her to come home."

"So what, misery loves company?" Paige said sarcastically.

Emily shook her head. "Not at all. Jai and I made a deal not to wallow and be miserable tomorrow. I'm not asking you to spend time with me so I can keep talking about Jai. I was just trying to get you to be involved." Emily said gently. "You seem to distance yourself to most of the people living in this town. And I get it. You're angry because of the rumors some of them spread about your family. But that's all the more reason to reach out to some of them. Prove to them that they're wrong about you."

"I don't need to prove anything to anyone." Paige said stonily. "I don't care what they think."

"Paige I didn't mean to offend you." Emily said apologetically. "I just don't understand why you seem annoyed and bitter the second I asked you to spend time with me to do some of the things Jai and I did." She continued. "Are you jealous of your best friend's popularity? That she's well-loved by everyone?"

"Unlike me. Is that what you're saying? That I'm a screw-up compared to her?" Paige asked, offended.

"I didn't say that." Emily said hurriedly. "Don't put words in my mouth."

"You didn't have to say anything. It was implied." Paige stated. "This may come as a surprise to you but not all of us are like you and Jai. Most of us are just struggling to get through the day. So I guess you're right. I _am_ jealous of Jai. But not because she's popular." She clarified.

"Then why?" Emily asked, forgetting the reason she came up to the girl in the first place.

"Because compared to mine? Jai's life is _normal_. Something I've never felt my entire life and probably never will." Paige answered bitterly. "I don't want to spend time with you tomorrow going around town doing what you and Jai do. Trying to be one of the popular kids just to fit in. Ask one of your friends." She repeated. "And for the last time, _stop_ trying to be friends with me. It's never gonna happen. I don't want to be friends with you so just stay away from me." Paige said curtly before grabbing her things. She was about to walk past Emily when she felt the girl grip her arm firmly.

"All you had to do was ask." Emily said, not bothering to hide the confusion, anger and hurt she was feeling. "You don't have to keep treating me like crap. I'm not a damn yo-yo. You're nice when you feel like it, rude when you don't. I'm tired of trying to figure you out. You don't want to be friends? Fine. Like having you in my life is going to change mine anyway." She snapped before releasing her grip on Paige's arm and leaving the girl alone.

Spent, Paige followed Emily's retreating back, forcing herself not to run after the girl and apologize. She swallowed hard before sitting on the armchair she occupied earlier, cradling her head in her hands.

* * *

_I'm not a damn yo-yo._ _You're nice when you feel like it, rude when you don't._

_Like having you in my life is going to change mine anyway._

Hours later, Paige found herself still thinking about the words Emily said to her while listening to the rhythmic pouring of the rain outside, trying to calm her nerves as she contemplated whether or not to answer the ringing phone on her study table. Paige knew it was Jai calling to check on her after the distressed phone call she made to her best friend last night and she didn't know how to talk to her friend without Jai knowing that something is still bothering her. But she didn't want her friend to worry so after letting it ring a few more times, she reluctantly lifted the handset from its cradle.

"Hello?" Paige said in greeting, pretending not to know who the caller is.

"Hey." Jai's relieved tone came on the other end of the line. "Did I call at a bad time?"

"No." Paige answered. "Just didn't hear the phone ringing. I was in the bathroom and it's raining hard outside." She added, placing the phone briefly near the window so Jai could hear it. "Sorry."

"It's cool. I just called to make sure you're feeling better today. You really had me worried with that phone call last night." Jai admitted.

Paige sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. I was just having a bad day." She explained.

"Is it because of your application to UPenn?" Jai asked cautiously, making Paige sit up straight.

"How did you...?" Paige trailed off before closing her eyes in frustration. "Your girlfriend." She uttered, annoyed.

"She didn't know, okay? Don't get mad at her again." Jai pleaded. "She thought you've already told me about it and honestly, I don't understand why you haven't. What brought this on? I thought you were set on going to USC?"

"I am. Believe me the last thing I want is to go to UPenn next year." Paige began before finally telling her best friend everything. From the guidance counselor telling her she could get in, to her dad asking her to try to get in.

"So why didn't you tell me any of this sooner?" Jai asked, confused.

Paige bit her lower lip, contemplating whether to tell her best friend the truth. "Because I know you're gonna tell me to try and get in and I'm tired of hearing those words." She admitted. "Telling you about it is just gonna put more pressure on me and the last thing I need is for my best friend to join the _you-can-do-it_ fans club."

Jai laughed dryly. "That's the name of your fans club? I'm not gonna join that." She said, trying to make her friend feel better. "Paige I know you hate it. And I understand why you didn't tell me. Because you're right. I'm gonna ask you to try to get in. If it meant being able to spend time with you instead of worrying about you all the time, yeah. I'm all for you going to UPenn. You don't have to listen to Sara telling you to try. Because I know the reason you're really trying is because your dad asked you."

"And now you." Paige said, running a hand through her hair. "I'm doing fine Jai. For once I just wish you and my dad would believe that." She said quietly.

"I do. And I think your dad wants to. But you can't really blame us for still getting worried. Especially your dad." Jai reminded her. "What can I do to help?"

"Stop asking me how my application is going." Paige admitted. "That's going to lessen the pressure a lot. Whether I do or don't get in, I need to know that you're fine with it."

"Done." Jai answered quickly. "From now on I won't be asking you about college applications. In fact, you can tell me where you're going for college when you graduate."

Paige finally smiled. She knew how hard that was for Jai to do. "Thanks." She said sincerely.

"But can I say one last thing?" Jai asked.

"What?" Paige asked warily.

"I'm glad you asked for Emily's help. And that you're trying for your dad." Jai said seriously. "I know how hard those two things were for you to do. I'm really proud of you."

"O-kay. Before you start bawling like a kid can we change the subject?" Paige said lightly. "How's the internship?"

"Yeah about that. I've been talking to the department head, trying to find a way for my internship to progress faster. This morning he called me to his office and said I could put in more hours starting November. Stay late on weekdays and I could even work during the weekends." Jai began.

"That's good news. I think. I mean it is, right?" Paige said hesitantly. "I don't know what my reaction's supposed to be. Should I be happy or something else?"

"I don't know. I'm having mixed feelings about it actually." Jai admitted. "Putting in more hours would mean I get to come home sooner. But that would also mean that I won't be able to call as often as I want. We barely talk as it is. You only answer my calls during the weekend. This is actually the first time we talked on a weekday. Twice if you count last night." She added.

"I'm doing fine. And Kayla is looking after me when she's here. I don't mind not being able to talk to you every week. Your girlfriend though... that's an entirely different matter. She misses you even when you two talk all the time." Paige reminded her best friend.

Jai sighed. "I know. She wants me to come home soon. And I do too. But I don't know how she'll take it if it meant not being able to talk to her for days." She admitted. "I plan on telling her after our anniversary. So don't say anything. I don't want her to be bummed tomorrow."

They stayed on the line in silence. Paige knowing what's about to come and Jai being too reluctant to ask.

"Jai just say it." Paige finally said.

"I know you're not crazy about spending time with her. But I don't want Emily to wait for me to come home by herself. So please... try." Jai pleaded. "Maybe you can do a trial run tomorrow. I know you're not a fan of horror films but Emily loves them and she's been wanting to go see one at a drive-in theatre. Can you take her? I just don't want her to be alone on our anniversary." She explained.

Paige closed her eyes, conflicted. After pushing Emily away this afternoon, she doubted the girl would want to spend time with her tomorrow. And she preferred it that way. But she needed Jai to come home early too and unless she promised her friend that there's absolutely nothing to worry about back home, Jai won't go through with putting in more hours.

"Okay." Paige said after a beat. "I promise to take care of her and spend more time with her starting tomorrow." She said sincerely, hoping she could find a way to fight her feelings at the same time. "Just promise me you'll come home soon."

"I promise." Jai said earnestly. "Thanks Paige. It's going to be a while before I can call you again. I'm entrusting her to you. _Please_ don't make her cry."

"I won't." Paige promised. "I gotta go. I have to call Tia and ask her for a favor."

"She still works at the drive-in theatre?" Jai asked.

Paige laughed. "Jai her family runs the place." She reminded her friend. "She has no choice but to work there."

"Right." Jai said thoughtfully. "You think you can convince her to hold a special screening tomorrow?"

"Leave that part to me." Paige said reassuringly. "But you owe me one."

"More than one actually." Jai admitted. "I guess you have a phone call to make then. I'll talk to you when I can. Bye."

"Bye." Paige said, ending the call. She stared at the phone for a moment before pulling open the top drawer of her study table and rummaging for Tia Martinez's phone number, dreading having to call the girl to ask for a last minute favor.

* * *

"Well can't you get someone else to volunteer on such short notice?" Aria asked the girl seated in front of her during lunch on Wednesday.

"I don't know. Are any of you willing to volunteer at the last minute?" Emily asked as she stared at her friends. When none of them answered, she smiled wryly. "See? Easier said than done."

"We want to help you out Em. But we don't exactly have transportation big enough for the kids and the adult coming with them." Hanna explained beside her.

"I know. That's why I didn't ask any of you." Emily said understandingly. "This day sucks." She added miserably. "It's supposed to be a good day. I promised Jai I won't be miserable but nothing's going right today."

"I think it's about to get worse." Spencer warned from beside Aria as she looked past Emily.

Emily turned around to see what Spencer meant and immediately saw Paige walking towards them with a determined look on her face. _Great_. _Just what I need_. She thought as she turned around to face her friends once again.

"We need to talk." Paige said from behind Emily, waiting for the girl to get up. "Alone." She added when Emily didn't move.

"I'm perfectly fine right here." Emily said without looking behind her. "What do you want?"

Paige gazed at Emily's friends who all looked like they were ready to pounce on her and decided to make the most out of the situation, opting to tell the girl about the drive-in theatre later. The more the people in Emily's life hate her, the better. "I got a call from Jai last night." She began. "Apparently she knows about UPenn. How do you think that happened?" She asked coolly.

Emily cringed inwardly. She forgot about that one. "I'm sorry." She said, turning around to face Paige. "But I thought you told her."

Paige scoffed. "I told you I didn't want her to know. Did you hear me say anything about planning to tell her someday?" She asked incredulously. "I kept my mouth shut about everything that happened in L.A. She actually thinks I got mad at you for some lame reason. I expected you to do the same. But apparently you're only interested in keeping your secret."

"Look I'm really sorry about the slip up. It's not like it was intentional." Emily said, starting to get annoyed at Paige's behavior. "Honestly, you know you'd have to tell her eventually. What, you plan to attend UPenn for the next four years avoiding Jai the whole time?!" She retorted. "I'm having a bad day. Unlike you, I have an actual problem in my hands. One of the volunteers cancelled at the last minute and unless you can come up with a solution, I don't have time for your tantrums."

Paige rolled her eyes. "That's hardly a problem. Call for an emergency meeting. Talk about renting a van. Then ask if one of the volunteers can take ten instead of five kids. If that doesn't work, maybe ask some of the volunteers to take an additional kid or something." Paige suggested. "If no one steps up I can take those kids trick or treating instead." She volunteered.

Emily abruptly stood up, surprising her friends and Paige. "I don't get you." She told Paige. "One minute you're biting my head off, the next you're offering to help out. You say stay away from you but now you're standing here talking to me. It's like I'm talking to Jekyll and Hyde at the same time _everytime_." She said, not bothering to hide the hurt and puzzlement in her voice. "Make up your mind because I'm getting tired of your mood swings." Emily said quietly. "I'll see you guys later." She said to her friends before picking up her lunch tray and walking past Paige, leaving the girl alone under the scathing glares of the three girls still seated at the table.

* * *

The moment Paige exited the school building that afternoon and saw the downpour, she finally admitted to herself that today was definitely not her day. She still hasn't found a way to ask Emily to come with her to the drive-in theatre later this evening and she doubted the girl was going to answer her call. Paige took out her phone and contemplated calling Tia to ask the girl to move the special screening to Saturday instead but a slight movement from the corner of her eye made her stop. She looked to her right and saw Emily standing by herself, checking the time on her watch every now and then. Paige studied the girl for a second before returning her phone inside her duffel bag and slowly made her way towards Emily.

"Why are you still here?" Paige asked when she was within hearing distance. Emily glanced at Paige in surprise but didn't say anything so she continued. "Don't you have a shift at the Brew? You're gonna be late."

"You think?" Emily shot back sarcastically.

"I know." Paige answered, making Emily roll her eyes in annoyance.

"I'm waiting for the rain to let up." Emily finally said when it became obvious that Paige wasn't going to leave her alone.

"You didn't bring an umbrella?" Paige asked like it was something Emily should've thought of.

"The sun was shining this morning when I left for school. I only leave my house with an umbrella if it's raining when I step outside." Emily explained.

Paige nodded. "Gotcha. Well where did your friends go?" She inquired.

"Aria left early, Hanna's mom picked her up before it started raining and Spencer's still inside with the rest of the debate team. She's gonna be there for a while." Emily added.

"And you need to go to work." Paige concluded.

"I'm not going to work today." Emily revealed. "I'm gonna go do the other two deeds Jai and I talked about."

"I thought you have to do those deeds with someone?" Paige asked.

Emily sighed. "You said no, remember?" She said, pulling her jacket closer when a gust of wind blew past them.

"I also said ask one of your friends instead." Paige reminded the girl.

"They're busy." Emily explained before checking the time again.

Paige studied Emily for a moment before speaking. "Where do you need to go?" She asked, taking out the keys to her dad's car. "This rain isn't about to let up anytime soon. You're gonna be stuck here."

"It's fine. I'd rather be stuck here than spend my time trying to figure out how to act around you." Emily said quietly.

"Look, I need to take you somewhere tonight because Jai asked me. And obviously you're not going to come willingly so let's make a deal. I'll be your designated driver for the last two deeds just as long as you come with me after you're done." Paige offered.

Emily didn't say anything for a moment, contemplating what to do. It was getting late and she won't be able to do the remaining deeds in time because Paige was right. The rain wasn't letting up at all. "Which Paige am I talking to right now? The jerk or the nice one?" She asked cautiously.

"I don't recall ever being nice to you." Paige answered, giving Emily an indirect apology. "But right now I'm standing here as Jai's best friend. Nothing more."

"Good. That means you're doing this for her. The only way I'm gonna let you drive me around town is if you agree to do the last two deeds with me." Emily said adamantly.

Paige sighed. "Fine." She said, left with no other choice. "Wait right here. I'm gonna get the car." Paige instructed before setting her duffel bag down near Emily's feet. She folded the hem of her track pants until it was just below her knees to make sure that it wasn't going to be soiled before looking up to the skies briefly and making a dash for the parking lot.

Emily waited until she saw the Buick Encore near the school entrance before she lifted Paige's bag and slung it on her shoulder, making a run for it. She hurriedly opened the passenger door and gave Paige her bag before getting in, shutting the door behind her.

"Bringing a car to school. Hoping to impress the girl you like?" Emily asked as Paige locked the doors and turned up the heater.

"My dad didn't go to work today so I get to use his car." Paige explained, ignoring Emily's attempt to stir the conversation to the mystery girl but Emily wasn't letting it go.

"To impress the girl you like." Emily insisted.

"_No_. To go to and from school. And apparently to give you a ride." Paige added as she shifted the gear. "Where to first?"

"Rosewood Gen. We're going to donate blood." Emily explained. "Then we're going to the homeless shelter for the feeding program. That's sort of our thing. Me and Jai."

Paige nodded as she steered the car towards the direction of the hospital first. "So what was the first deed?" She asked as she switched the windshield wiper to high and leaned forward to see the road better.

"I decided to make an online donation to the Hugs Project this morning. It's a charity for our troops serving in the Middle East." Emily said as she tried to dry her hair while balancing her things on her lap.

"You know, you'd be more comfortable if you placed your things in the backseat." Paige suggested when she noticed that the girl seemed to be struggling with trying to do two things at once. "There's plenty of space back there." She added, jerking her right thumb behind them.

Emily shook her head. "It's fine. I like placing my things on my lap so I don't forget anything once I get out." She explained.

"In a hurry to leave, huh?" Paige said wryly.

"Don't take it personally. Whenever Jai gives me a ride in Logan's car I also hold on to my stuff. She keeps telling me to place my things at the back as well but unless we're traveling far, I like holding on to my things so I don't forget anything." She repeated. "Less hassle of having to go back for it especially if what I had with me was important."

Paige shrugged. "Suit yourself." She said before turning on the stereo, the two of them spending the drive to Rosewood Gen with just the music filling the silence between them.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Emily asked as soon as Paige settled in the driver's seat of the car. She and Paige were done with her third good deed and now it was time for her to hold her end of the deal. Agreeing to go with Paige to the place Jai told her to take Emily.

"You'll know once we get there." Paige said mysteriously, glancing at the dashboard clock to check the time.

It was a good thing the rain finally stopped on their way to the homeless shelter. Paige didn't want to cancel at the last minute if the weather refused to cooperate by the time they were done lending a hand in the feeding program. Instead, she called Tia when she had a moment alone to check if everything was setup and told the girl to expect them around eight. She and Emily barely had anything for dinner except for the food they were given after they donated blood and though her stomach was grumbling, she knew it wasn't because of hunger. She was nervous about the rest of the evening and having to spend it with Emily Fields in a closed space.

"Jai said you love horror movies." Paige began, trying to clue-in Emily regarding their destination.

"I do. But I love it more because Jai's such a scaredy cat and I get to cuddle with her. I think she watches horror movies with me for that reason alone." Emily admitted. "What about you?" She asked, glancing at Paige.

"What about me?" Paige asked, not taking her eyes off the road.

"Do you like horror movies?" Emily clarified.

"_Love them_." Paige answered emphatically, her grip tightening on the steering wheel. The truth was she barely slept last night. When Jai told her Emily loved horror films, she knew she had to brace herself before tonight so she watched a few times the films Tia recommended to get accustomed to the scenes. Now she won't be screaming her eyes out. "We're here." She said as she steered the car towards the center of a large, empty space before killing the engine.

Emily looked around her as she tried to figure out where exactly 'here' is. She leaned forward and studied through the windshield the wide, white screen in front of them before looking outside her window. When she saw the blinking lights of the concession stand from a distance, recognition finally dawned on her. "It's a drive-in theatre." She said, breaking into a grin as she turned to face the girl seated beside her.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. And they're showing The Evil Dead trilogy." She revealed. "This is Jai's surprise for you."

At the mention of Jai's name, Emily's grin got wider. "This is awesome." She said, looking around her once again to take in everything. "I've always wanted to try watching movies this way." She admitted.

Paige unbuckled her seatbelt and unlocked the door. "Wait here. I just need to tell Tia we've arrived so she can start the film." She explained before getting out of the car and running towards the blinking lights at the distance.

A few minutes later, Emily saw Paige emerge from inside the building, walking briskly while trying not to spill what looked like two huge tubs of popcorn.

"Where's the rest of it?" Emily asked teasingly as soon as she opened the door for Paige and saw that most of the popcorn on both tubs is gone.

"Stupid wind." Paige muttered, making Emily chuckle. "I didn't know if you liked cheese or butter so I got both. And some salt. In case you wanted yours salty." She explained, offering to Emily the two buckets, letting the girl choose.

Emily took the butter flavored one. "Thanks." She said, smiling at Paige quizzically when the girl looked away.

"Wait." Paige said, moving to pop open the glove compartment and handing Emily several tissues. "Take these. In case you need to wipe the grease off your fingers." She explained. "And I brought some drinks in the cooler at the back. In case you get thirsty. Nothing fancy though. Just juice boxes and some bottled water." Paige said hurriedly.

"It's fine, Paige." Emily said, finding the gesture sweet. As the girl closed the door and went to the driver's side of the car to get in, it suddenly occurred to Emily that Jai didn't plan all of this. The drive-in theatre and the horror movie probably. But the rest of it was entirely Paige. "What happened to rule number one?" Emily asked as soon as Paige got inside the car.

"Tonight that rule is lifted." Paige explained. "Since this is Jai's idea, I'll just bill her for the carwash and auto detailing if you spill anything tonight. But… although that sounds extremely tempting, I'd rather you didn't. I'm gonna be home before Jai is. I wouldn't hear the end of it if I ruin my dad's car."

"I'll be extra careful." Emily promised. "Thanks for this." She said sincerely. "For being Jai's best friend tonight. Even if I promised her that I wouldn't wallow and be miserable, today really sucks without her."

"She knows. That's why she asked me to do this. She doesn't want you to be alone today." Paige admitted.

"Here's what I don't get though." Emily said after a beat.

"What?" Paige asked, starting to eat her popcorn.

"What's with the horror movie trilogy?" Emily asked, amused.

"You said your friends do this once a month. The triple threat thing with the movie marathon. I figured since I made you miss it this month I might as well make up for it tonight. Killing two birds with one stone." Paige explained.

Emily laughed. "Okay one, it's triple _play_. Not triple _threat_." She emphasized.

Paige frowned. "Yeah that makes much more sense now." She said slowly, mentally patting her back for a job well done. It was a work in progress but she was getting the hang of pretending she wasn't paying attention to everything Emily says and does.

"And two, triple play isn't about trilogies. It's different movies with a common theme." Emily explained.

"What are you talking about? Lots of things are common in trilogies. The title, the characters, the genre, the actors. It easily fits into the triple play rules." Paige argued.

"Well the objective of the game is to guess the common denominator after you've watched three _different_ films. If you say that we'll be watching The Evil Dead trilogy that's like the easiest thing to guess." Emily said, shaking her head in amusement.

"Hey cut me some slack. It's not like I'm part of your gang. I just made a wild guess." Paige shot back.

Emily pursed her lips to keep from laughing out loud. "I'd hardly call it wild." She muttered under her breath.

"Excuse me?" Paige said, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at the girl who was clearly making fun of her.

Emily shook her head and began eating her popcorn. "So who's Tia?" She asked as the first installment of the horror film began rolling. She'd seen the movie before but she didn't want Paige to feel like she didn't appreciate the trouble the girl went through so she didn't say anything.

"A friend." Paige answered vaguely. "Her family runs this place. And no. She doesn't go to Rosewood High."

"You two must be really good friends then if she agreed to screen three films just for you. Unless their business is not doing so well." Emily added.

"It's a favor." Paige admitted. "We went out a few times in the past and she agreed to screen the films privately for us tonight."

"You mean for you." Emily corrected. "What does she want in return?"

Paige shrugged. "Just to hang out whenever we're both free." She answered.

"Doing what?" Emily persisted. When Paige didn't say anything, she angled her body to face Paige. "Is she the girl you have feelings for?" She asked cautiously.

"Maybe." Paige said offhandedly.

"No she's not." Emily observed. "So what are you doing?" She asked, confused. "Why are you seeing all these other girls when you've liked someone all this time?"

"I told you she's not available." Paige repeated.

"Because she's seeing someone." Emily added. "What's her name?" She asked again hoping this time Paige was going to open up to her. They were in the middle of nowhere and unless the girl shoved Emily out of her dad's car, they weren't going anywhere.

Paige sighed. "Dominique." She answered, saying the first name that came to mind.

"I don't know any Dominique in Rosewood High." Emily said slowly, mentally going through the names of girls in their school.

"That's because like Tia, she doesn't go to our school." Paige explained.

"So where did you meet her?" Emily asked.

"Around. I've known her for years." Paige added.

"Do you love her?" Emily asked hesitantly.

"I used to. Now I don't know anymore." Paige answered, looking away. "It's complicated."

Emily heard the pain in Paige's voice and decided to stop asking questions about the girl Jai's best friend is obviously still in love with. "I'm parched." She said, changing the subject.

Paige twisted her body and lifted the lid of the cooler on the floor of the backseat. "Water or juice box?" She asked without looking at Emily.

"Water." Emily answered. "Thanks." She said as she took the bottle Paige handed her and twisted the cap off.

Paige nodded wordlessly and faced forward, focusing on the scene playing on the screen as she continued eating her popcorn. They spent the rest of the night sitting in silence, the occasional sound of rustling popcorns inside their buckets the only sound audible inside the car.

* * *

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Emily asked Paige for the fifth time as they stood outside the school entrance on Thursday night.

It was almost time to take the kids trick or treating and because Emily couldn't find a last minute volunteer to take the place of the one who cancelled due to a family emergency, she was forced to accept Paige's offer to take the kids instead.

"Will you relax? I got this." Paige said, starting to get annoyed.

"Okay. Okay." Emily repeated nervously. "Keep your phone on at all times. I'm gonna check on you once a while."

"You don't have to. You need to focus on setting up here for when the kids get back. If something comes up you'll be the first to know." Paige reassured Emily. She checked the time on her watch and took out the keys to the van Greg rented for her earlier that day. "I better get going. The kids are excited to start going from house to house."

Emily nodded. "Don't drive too fast." She called after the girl. She watched as Paige slid the door of the van open and gave each kid a high five before they got in, saying something that made the kids smile eagerly. Emily took a deep breath and turned around to head back inside, hoping tonight things would go smoothly.

* * *

_I got this._

"Yeah… I think I spoke too soon." Paige muttered under her breath as she stared at the phone she held in her hand, debating whether or not to call Emily for this particular emergency. Before she left she knew the girl was already on edge and she didn't want Jai's girlfriend to be sidetracked with preparing for the activities after the trick or treating. But she did promise the girl that she'd call the moment something happens. Paige sighed, finally deciding to dial Emily's number.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked before Paige could even say anything.

"Okay don't panic. I'm just giving you a heads up." Paige began. "One of the volunteers, Hank, had engine trouble. We already called Triple A but they said they're gonna be a while and the kids riding in his SUV are starting to grow restless so I took them with me." She explained hurriedly.

"Wait, what?" Emily exclaimed, making Paige cringe and move her phone away from her ear. "Why did you do that?!"

"I think _thank you_ is what you meant to say." Paige said, trying to calm down Emily.

"No. I'm pretty sure I got it right the first time." Emily insisted. "Where are you now?"

"Um, corner of Cutler and Main." Paige answered as she looked at the kids inside the van. "Look. I just called to tell you that I have ten kids with me now. Plus two adults." She added. "The kids are getting restless and we can't exactly separate them since they're under the care of a rep from the hospital and the orphanage. I can't sit around and wait until another volunteer passes by with a vehicle big enough to accommodate six more people because it might start raining."

"What do you mean?" Emily asked, confused.

"You didn't check the weather advisory?!" Paige said, incredulous. "It's been raining the past two days. That's why I checked before I left the house this evening. I wanted to make sure I could take the kids around town before it started pouring."

"And you didn't bother to tell me this because?" Emily inquired.

"Because I thought you had it covered." Paige answered. "Okay why don't you take care of that instead? Tell the other members of your committee to contact their volunteers, give them a heads up. I'm gonna continue taking these kids trick or treating. Okay?"

"Okay." Emily said reluctantly. "I'll get right on it now."

"Wait." Paige said, a thought crossing her mind. "Are you guys all setup there? In case the kids came back earlier than the designated time?"

"Yeah. We are. I just need to think of another activity to add in case that happens." Emily admitted. "But I got it covered." She added.

"Well call or text me if you need me to get some materials or something." Paige said as she moved to get behind the wheel of the van, starting the engine and shifting the gear to drive. "I'm gonna hang up now. Can't talk while driving."

"Okay." Emily said absentmindedly. "Paige you're driving with ten kids." She reminded the girl nervously.

"I know. I'll be careful." Paige said reassuringly before finally ending the call.

* * *

Emily smiled faintly as she sat on the front steps of the school entrance, watching the kids bid farewell to the volunteers who took them trick or treating tonight before getting on the bus that would take them back to the hospitals and orphanages they came from. Other than the kids getting back early because it started raining like Paige told her and Chloe forgetting to pick up the tokens to be given to the volunteers, the rest of the night went off without a hitch. She should've felt happy. Maybe even proud. But for some reason she felt disappointed. She was about to get up and help the others clean up inside when she felt her phone vibrate inside her back pocket. Taking it out, she glanced at the number on the screen and smiled.

"Hey love." Emily said once she answered Jai's call.

"Hey." Jai said in greeting. "Trick or treating over?"

"The event, yeah. The clean up, just finishing." Emily said, leaning her head against the brick-veneered wall beside her.

"How did it go?" Jai inquired. "Did the kids have fun?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah." She answered. "They did. They're on their way home now."

"So is this a good time to talk?" Jai asked hesitantly. "I have to tell you something."

"What is it?" Emily asked, hearing the anxiety in her girlfriend's voice.

"Are you sitting down?" Jai asked. "It's sort of good news. And bad. It's both." She clarified.

"Well what is it about?" Emily inquired. "You're scaring me."

"No. Don't. You shouldn't be. It's about the internship." Jai began. "I've been talking to the department head for sometime now. He's been helping me find a way to log in more hours in the program so I could come home soon. He told me last Tuesday that starting next month I can start staying late during the weekdays. And work during the weekends. It's going to be exhausting. But I decided to accept it if it meant I get to come home in five months." She explained. "But there's a catch."

"You won't be able to call me everyday anymore won't you?" Emily guessed glumly. "You said it yourself. You're gonna be putting in more hours, probably stay up late. You're going to be really tired."

"I'm really sorry Em." Jai said quietly. "I wish there was another way for me to keep calling you everyday and still come home early. But unless I can multiply myself..." She trailed off. "Are you mad?"

"No." Emily answered firmly. "I'm not. I get it. It's fine Jai. If it meant you can come home in five months it's fine." She repeated. "You've known since Tuesday." Emily suddenly said. "Why are you telling me this just now?"

Jai sighed. "I didn't want to tell you before our anniversary." She admitted. "It's bad enough that I made my best friend spend it with you. And I know you were still miserable yesterday even if we made a deal not to be. Telling you about it when I called you last night would make your day worse and I didn't want to do that." When Emily didn't say anything Jai spoke again. "And... I have a feeling I caught you at a bad time. What happened tonight?" She asked worriedly.

"It was a disaster." Emily admitted. "Well that's an exaggeration actually but things didn't go as smoothly as I hoped they would. We got into several snags. I forgot to check the weather, a volunteer cancelled, one had engine trouble. Then one of my members forgot to pick up the tokens of appreciation for the volunteers. I feel like such a failure." She confessed.

"I'm so sorry you had a rough day Em." Jai said sympathetically. "I wish I was there so I could've helped you out." She added.

"Yeah." Emily said as she caught sight of Paige exiting the school building with the kids she took trick or treating earlier. "So when can I talk to you again?" She asked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she averted her eyes and stared at the wet pavement distractedly.

"I'll definitely call you on the holidays that matter most to us. Thanksgiving. Christmas. New Year's. Valentine's." Jai promised. "And maybe every other week." She added. "I'm really sorry." Jai repeated.

"Just promise me I'll see you in five months. And that you'll make it up to me." Emily added.

"I will." Jai promised. "I'll make it up to you everyday. I can't wait to come home to you Emily Fields."

Emily smiled sadly. "I love you Jai." She whispered.

"I love you too." Jai said earnestly. "Goodnight, love."

"Goodnight." Emily said, feeling an overwhelming sadness the second Jai ended the call. She stared at the phone she held in her hand a moment longer before she was distracted by the sound of kids laughing from a distance.

Emily watched as Paige high-fived each kid boarding the bus, smiling at the sight when each kid kissed or hugged the girl in return. Tonight Paige reminded her of Jai. Not just because her girlfriend's best friend is good with kids, just like Jai is, but because Paige came to her rescue several times. And that upset her. She watched as Paige waited until the bus the kids boarded left the vicinity before turning around to head inside.

* * *

Paige took a deep breath, exhausted by the night's activities but feeling happy when she remembered the smile on the kids' faces the entire time she was with them. She headed to the far end corner of the function room and got her things, looking forward to heading home to get some rest. She was about to leave when she noticed that Emily's books and shoulder bag were still on the table and she looked around the room, trying to find the girl.

"If you're looking for Emily she's right outside." Greg said as he walked behind Paige to get his letterman jacket which was resting beside Emily's things. "Where're the keys to the van?" He asked, extending his hand towards Paige.

Paige took out the keys from her jacket and handed them to Greg. "Thanks." She said before taking Emily's things and leaving the room.

As soon as she exited the building, Paige looked around and finally spotted the girl sitting on one of the steps near the bushes. She slowly approached Emily, waving her right hand in greeting when the girl glanced her way.

"They're almost done cleaning up inside so I decided to bring you your stuff." Paige explained as she handed Emily her books and placed the girl's bag beside her.

"Thanks." Emily said gratefully as she looked up at Paige. "Not just for bringing me my things but for tonight. For your help in the whole trick or treat activity actually." She added, looking away.

Paige studied Emily for a moment before deciding to sit beside the girl. "We did a great thing today." She began. "So why the long face?" She asked, confused.

Emily didn't say anything for a moment, fidgeting with the strap of her bag. "I'm disappointed." She finally admitted, embarrassed.

"Why? Did you see the smile on those kids' faces? The event was a success." Paige stated. "You should be proud."

"I am. At least I want to be. But I failed as the social chair on this one. You and Jai came to my rescue. If she didn't talk to her dad and you didn't visit those institutions there would be no kids tonight." Emily explained.

Understanding dawned on Paige. "This is about Jai doing things for you." She said cautiously.

Emily shook her head. "No. This is about you two doing things for me." She corrected. "You're no different from Jai tonight. Thinking I'm not capable of doing things by myself. Coming to my rescue when something goes wrong." She said, taking out her frustration on Jai's best friend. "I don't need your help. I can do it myself."

"I know that." Paige reassured Emily.

"You do?" Emily asked, surprised.

"Yeah." Paige answered. "I wasn't trying to make you feel like you're helpless. I just didn't want to bother you with a problem I knew I could find a solution to when I know you're back here dealing with problems of your own." She explained. "You planned the whole thing." She reminded the girl. "I know you're not helpless. So does Jai. And I know it frustrates you. That Jai swooped in again to save the day when you've barely done anything about it yet."

"I don't mind." Emily said quietly. "I don't." She repeated. "It's one of the things I love about her. My gorgeous knight in shining armor. I just wish sometimes I can stop being the damsel in distress." She confessed.

"You're not helpless. That's just the way she is." Paige said understandingly. "Jai grew up taking care of everyone important in her life so I'm used to it. I'm like, four years ahead of you on this one." She reminded Emily. "It irritates me sometimes but I know she means well. And if I'd known that Jai getting the Rosewood Gen to agree because of her dad made you feel bad about yourself already, I would have taken you with me to those other institutions so you could talk to them yourself. But at the end of the day, I think you should let this one slide. This is just the first of many and if you ask me, I think it went well. So don't be too hard on yourself. The important thing is that you made those kids happy."

Emily nodded, starting to feel better. "How _did_ you get those institutions to agree anyway?" She asked, glancing at Paige.

"I've been doing volunteer work in some of them for a while now. Reading to kids, teaching them simple stuff. Most of the people who work in those places know me. So it wasn't that hard to convince them." Paige explained.

"Sounds to me like you have lots of extracurricular activities already. Why do you still need to join the social committee?" Emily asked, confused.

"Because I don't plan on listing those down." Paige admitted. "I didn't spend time with those kids so I could add it to my list of extracurricular activities. I just wanted a sibling of my own but life happened and I didn't get it." She said quietly.

"Got it." Emily said, for some reason knowing not to push the issue further. They sat in silence for a moment before she decided to speak again. "So I got a call from Jai just now." She began. "Did you know? About her plan to log in more hours starting next month?"

Paige nodded. "I did. But I thought you'd be fine with it because it meant Jai's coming home soon." She added. "I mean, you are. Right?"

"I told her I was fine with it." Emily said softly. "And I thought I was. But I'm not. And now I just feel really lonely." She confessed. "I'm torn about it actually. I do want her to come home soon. But I don't want the daily calls to stop. And I hate myself for being this selfish but I feel as if everything's changing when she promised me before she left that it wouldn't."

"You have your friends. They can keep you company." Paige reminded Emily. "Before you know it you're gonna be standing at the airport waiting for her to exit the plane."

Emily smiled faintly. "I love my friends. And I know they love me too. But I don't want to chew their ears off, talking about Jai nonstop when I'm with them." She admitted.

"Well I did promise Jai I'd keep you company from now on so if you need to keep talking about your girlfriend, you can always come find me… Emily." Paige added, making the girl look at her in surprise.

"You just called me by my name again." Emily said, breaking into a dazzling smile. "I was starting to think it was a fluke."

Paige shook her head. "It had to stop some time, right?" She said quietly. "I'm done calling you Sniffles. I can't do it anymore." She confessed, the meaning of those words unknown to the beaming girl sitting beside her.

"Good. Because we can't be real friends if you keep calling me Sniffles." Emily admitted.

"Whoa! Slow down! Who said anything about being friends?!" Paige exclaimed. "This doesn't mean we're friends." She insisted.

Emily laughed. "You _really_ have serious commitment issues." She stated. "Fine. I'll accept that for now. But can you at least walk me home?" She asked, standing up and brushing the dust off the back of her pants.

Paige looked up at Emily and smiled. "Sure." She answered before getting up as well. "Might as well start this whole keeping you company thing." She added as she joined Emily at the bottom of the steps.

They walked in silence for a moment as they headed towards the direction of Emily's house before Paige decided to ask something.

"So... does this mean I'm part of the social committee now?" Paige asked as they walked side by side. "Ooh! Maybe I can be co-social chair." She suggested.

Emily elbowed Paige lightly. "You wish." She shot back. "Hey. I never got to ask." Emily suddenly blurted out when they passed by a party supplies store.

"Ask what?" Paige asked, following Emily's gaze.

"That college party Carla invited you to. How did you manage to get out of going?" Emily asked, looking at Paige.

"Oh. That." Paige began, grinning. "Well I went to dinner with her and her friend. I was nice, flirted a little, brushed skins a few times. On our way back to the car the weirdest thing happened. I asked if either of them felt queasy because my stomach was starting to hurt. They said they felt fine. So I said maybe it'll pass. I got into the car with them and when we were near Lucky Leons I asked Carla to pull over because I was gonna hurl. I hurriedly got out of the car, ran to the trashcan that was far enough for them not to see the actual vomit but hear the sounds I would make and then proceeded to make fake vomiting sounds." She explained animatedly. "When I felt I was convincing enough, I looked up and pretended to wipe my mouth then smiled and told them _'I feel much better now_'. I was about to get inside her car again when she said she got a text saying the party just got cancelled. So I feigned disappointment saying I was really looking forward to spending time alone with Carla. She said maybe some other time and before I could say _'call me'_ they were gone." Paige concluded.

"You're serious?" Emily asked, not knowing whether to believe Paige's anecdote.

Paige nodded. "Totally. You should've seen me. I was great. I got a free dinner _and_ I got to ride a Corvette. That's one car I can cross off my list of possible cars I want my dad to buy for me." She added.

Emily shook her head in disbelief. "You're..." She trailed off, trying to think of a word.

"Freaking awesome?" Paige suggested.

"Devious." Emily corrected.

Paige shrugged. "I'll just pretend I heard you say I was freaking awesome." She said stubbornly, making Emily smile in amusement.


	6. mutantur : chapter vi

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

_**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews about the story so far…**_

_**And for patiently waiting for this next chapter…**_

_**Nae10, Kyxia & AliasThorne... Thanks for the PM.**_

* * *

**PART ONE: "Mutantur Omnia Nos Et Mutamur In Illis"**

_~ All things change, and we change with them. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

Emily finished writing on the board the list of booths for the upcoming fair before turning around to face the members of the social committee.

"Next week, the thirty booths listed here will be part of this year's Feb fair." Emily began as she pointed behind her, looking around the room to make sure everyone was listening. "And unlike the other activities we've held the past few months, this one we get to actually enjoy and participate in." She added, making everyone seated inside the room break into whistles and applause. "Okay settle down." Emily ordered, raising her voice to be heard above the excited chatter of the members of the committee.

When the chatter died down, Emily continued. "Now as we've discussed, since this event will be week-long and we need to make sure that we're still doing our part as members of this committee, I've finalized our shifts for each day so that each of us can make rounds, make sure everything is going smoothly. It's just a couple of hours and we'll be doing the rounds in threes. Do the math, it's just ten booths each so for the most part of the fair, we get to spend it enjoying what each booth has to offer, and for others who belong to other clubs and organizations, they can spend their time manning their club's booth." She explained as she handed out several copies of the schedule she made for each of the members. "Now this is probably the only activity we get to actually enjoy. Other than prom and homecoming of course. So I'm making it as a rule. Killjoys are not allowed in the fairgrounds. Once we step inside those grounds, we get to enjoy what each booth has to offer. I don't want to hear excuses about you being in social committee duty just so you could get out of participating."

Paige watched as the members each got a copy of the schedule, starting to squirm as she forced her hands to remain at her sides. She felt her face flush when she noticed that everyone was looking at her once again. She sighed and pulled down the hem of the dress she was wearing which rode up her thighs if she so much as breathes. She cleared her throat, trying to get Emily's attention. The two of them were standing in front of the classroom. Somewhere she never imagined she'd find herself standing in unless she's delivering an oral presentation. And the fact that she's doing that while wearing what they kept on insisting is a dress was enough to put her in a foul mood.

Emily glanced to her left and bit back a smile when she saw how uncomfortable Paige is with the white tight-fitting dress she was wearing along with the fake angel wings on her back, the improvised halo on her head which was connected to the headband the girl was currently wearing, and the makeshift bow and arrow Paige held in her hand. She knew the girl was dying to get it over with so she decided to continue.

"Okay. On to our last topic of discussion." Emily began. "Just to recap, last month the issue regarding whether or not our committee should have a booth for the fair was raised. And after much discussion, we finally agreed that since we need to be up and about doing rounds and because most of us have responsibilities in our other clubs and or orgs, we will hardly have the time to manage our own booth. Not a functioning one anyway. So just to clarify, we _do_ have a booth but it will merely serve as our base of operations so to speak." She explained, pausing to make sure that she still had the attention of her members.

"Now when I asked what we should do instead, Daryl suggested the idea of one of us playing Cupid this year. This person will have to go around the fairgrounds to spread love in everyone's hearts for the entirety of the event. Several candidates have been nominated and eliminated. And now, by unanimous decision, I present to you our official Cupid for this year's fair, Paige McCullers." She declared, glancing at the girl who looked like all her blood suddenly rushed to her face. She clapped with the rest of the group, laughing when the members of the committee began cheering and whistling as they appreciated Paige's outfit.

"But." Emily interrupted. "But." She repeated, a little louder this time. "We still need to settle the small matter of her costume. Who here thinks she wears it well as it is?" Emily asked, raising her right hand to cast her vote.

The show of hands made Paige groan inwardly in frustration. She wondered how the UPenn admissions office would take it if they somehow found out that she played Cupid in the annual fair. _Nope_. _They can't find out about this_. _They might revoke my application if they do_. She was distracted from her thoughts when a hand shot up at the back.

"Do you have a question Daryl?" Emily asked a girl with auburn hair who was waving her hand eagerly.

"Yeah." Daryl said as she lowered her hand. "I have no problem with Paige wearing it. I think she wears it _really_ well. But... she wears that dress too long. If I were her, I'd wear it a bit higher." She suggested as she let her eyes wander from Paige's legs, stopping just below the girl's neck.

Paige felt her nose flare up in annoyance. She was practically wearing next to nothing. The hem of the piece of cloth they kept calling a _dress_ barely reached her mid-thigh. She was about to open her mouth to give the girl a piece of her mind when Emily interjected.

"We'll take that into consideration." Emily said hurriedly, used to Paige's facial expressions by now. "Thanks. If there are no questions meeting's adjourned." She declared, facing the board to erase her writing.

Paige waited until everyone was out of the room before she came up to Emily. Her progress was slow because of the snugness of the white cloth and she felt stupid, walking around with a makeshift bow and arrow, a pair of fake wings and an improvised halo. She immediately removed the headband and ran a hand through her hair before moving to remove the pair of wings on her back.

"You make a really cranky Cupid, Paige." Emily commented without looking at the girl. "You need to start practicing how to smile." She added, facing the girl who was sporting a scowl. "You're going to be spreading love next week. Not animosity."

"This isn't what I signed up for." Paige protested, pulling down the hem of the white fitted strapless dress she was wearing. "Argh!" She exclaimed when she saw that pulling the dress down exposed her cleavage more and she moved to pull it up, making the hem ride up her thigh once again. She impatiently placed the bow and arrow on top of the desk along with the halo and the wings. "And for the record, I can spread love without pretending to be Cupid thank you very much."

"It looks good on you." Emily insisted as she began fixing her things.

"I don't wear dresses!" Paige exclaimed. "And even if I do, which is a big, fat if, this thing doesn't qualify as a _dress_. It's like a bandage. And I can't breathe!" She complained.

Emily ignored Paige's ranting, used to it by now. "It was a unanimous decision." She reminded the girl. "And please spread love next week using your makeshift bow and arrows not your lips. I don't want people to come down with mono."

"Hey!" Paige protested. "I spread love. Not disease!" She said indignantly. "I'd rather be one of the mascots from McDonald's than walk around pretending to be a cherub! Why can't someone else do it?" She complained.

"Someone could but everyone voted for you to wear it." Emily explained patiently.

Paige crossed her arms in front of her chest, feeling cold. "I feel as if they're undressing me the whole time I was standing in front." She admitted, looking around for her varsity jacket.

Emily grinned. "That shouldn't make you feel uncomfortable. You're used to it." She pointed out as she spotted the girl's jacket near her things and handed it to Paige.

"I'm used to getting girls' numbers. Not feeding their fantasies." Paige corrected as she took her jacket from Emily and hurriedly wore it. "Can't someone else do it instead?" She asked again.

"I could." Emily began, managing to hide her grin as she waited for Paige's reaction. After the night of the trick or treat, Paige has been overly protective of her because of Jai. At first she kept telling the girl to give it a rest, but Paige refused to budge that eventually she found the girl's antics silly instead.

"No way!" Paige exclaimed quickly, just like Emily predicted. "I mean, what would Jai think?" She added. She'd rather wear the costume than see Emily walk around for days wearing it.

"Jai wouldn't think anything of it because Jai doesn't get jealous." Emily reminded the girl. "That's one of the things I love about her. I don't have to constantly reassure her. Jai knows I only love her just like I know she only loves me so I don't get jealous either."

Paige frowned. "That seriously doesn't bother you? I know you two are secure about your relationship and everything but it doesn't hurt to get jealous sometimes." She said as she got her things and they began walking out of the room.

Emily shrugged. "Not if it meant fighting all the time it isn't. I don't want drama in my relationship." She admitted.

Paige drew the jacket closer to her body, zipping it up. The air was cold and her getup wasn't exactly made for the cold weather. "Fine. You're both absurdly secure about your relationship. Now that we've had our daily dose of you and Jai, can we please go back to my problem?" She implored. "Is there _any_ way for me to get out of playing Cupid?" She asked again. "_One that doesn't involve you playing Cupid in my place_." She added emphatically. "I'd rather neither of us wore this flimsy excuse of a dress." Paige said as she tugged uncomfortably on the hem again.

Emily narrowed her eyes as she looked at Paige. "There _is_ a way." She began. "You could do something else but I don't think you're up for it." She added, knowing how Paige was going to react.

"I'm up for it." Paige stated. "Believe me. I am. I'm up for anything. Anything but Cupid. Please." She pleaded.

"Fine." Emily finally said, making Paige pump her right fist in jubilation. "I'll ask someone else to wear that costume. But don't say I didn't warn you." She said mysteriously. "Follow me."

Emily briskly walked ahead of Paige as she led the way to the room where she knew the Public Relations, one of her other clubs, was currently holding a meeting. She knocked on the door twice before entering.

"Sorry to interrupt." Paige heard Emily say to someone inside the room. "I just stopped by to tell you I found the solution to our problem." Paige felt a sense of foreboding when she heard those words. She hurriedly stood behind Emily to see who the girl is speaking to. When she saw Hanna Marin standing in front of the room, she immediately knew that this year's fair was one she wasn't going to forget. They were in the Public Relations club. And if she remembered correctly, this particular club's contribution to the upcoming fair was the infamous kissing booth.

* * *

"You played me!" Paige exclaimed accusingly as she followed Emily out of the room a few minutes later.

"No I didn't!" Emily protested. "You said you can spread love without playing a cherub." She reminded the scowling girl. "Well here's your chance. And you're the one who said you're up for anything except playing Cupid, remember?"

"Yeah. But I was thinking along the lines of maybe selling cotton candy or something." Paige explained. "Something that doesn't involve showing skin or pimping my lips for a week!"

"Pimping your lips?" Emily repeated, laughing.

"Well how else would you put what you're making me do into words?" Paige challenged. "You're power tripping! Being the head of the social committee and all. How is paying one dollar for a kiss from me different from walking around in a tight dress?! You're pimping me!" She exclaimed, annoyed.

"Okay first of? I'm not someone who abuses her position, okay?" Emily began. "I just thought you'd like the kissing booth much better. I didn't think you'd have anything against it actually. Stop complaining." She demanded. "And second? You still owe me."

"It was a one-time thing!" Paige protested, knowing what Emily was referring to. "And I repaid you for that favor several times."

"Those weren't enough. With this one we're even." Emily reassured the indignant girl. "Besides, this is good practice for you." She said offhandedly as they headed for the exit.

Paige's eyes widened. "I _don't_ need practice. I've had plenty of practice." She insisted.

Emily grinned. "Not from what I heard." She said teasingly as she pushed open the door and exited the school building, followed close behind by Paige.

"Well you heard wrong. Who told you this?" Paige demanded as she caught up to Emily.

"Why do you want to know?" Emily inquired.

"Because I will teach this girl a lesson she will never forget." Paige said mock ominously.

"Are you going to kill her?" Emily asked, going along with Paige's threat.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. Because I'm going to kiss her to death." She whispered conspiratorially.

Emily laughed. "Oh my god that is the worst way to die!" She exclaimed as they stopped by Paige's bike.

Paige crouched to unlock her bike, looking up at Emily. "How would you know? You've never kissed me before!" She exclaimed, offended.

"And I never will. Because I have a girlfriend." Emily reminded the girl who was now busy unlocking her bike.

Paige imitated a buzzer's sound. "Wrong answer." She declared, standing up.

"What? It's the right answer!" Emily protested.

Paige let out a short laugh. "No it isn't! Because your answer means that if you didn't have a girlfriend you'd consider kissing me. That's what your answer meant!" She explained.

Emily scrunched up her face in disgust. "Eew no. I didn't even consider that when I said I have a girlfriend that's why I would never kiss you. But if you want me to say it bluntly then I will." She offered.

"Nah. You don't need to. I pretty much know you're immune to my charms." Paige managed to say offhandedly despite the hurt she felt at Emily's words.

"Charms? What charms?" Emily asked, confused.

"Again. Consider a career in stand-up comedy." Paige suggested as she stood beside her bike, suddenly realizing that she can't ride it in her current getup. She didn't have the time to change out of the dress earlier since Emily dragged her to another meeting.

"Come on Paige. It's either you play Cupid or you help in the kissing booth with Connor, Greg and Hanna. Connor's got the girls covered, Hanna the boys. You and Greg get to kiss all the girls and boys you want." Emily explained.

"But I'm not even in the Public Relations club!" Paige reminded the girl.

"Neither is Greg." Emily pointed out. "But we managed to convince him to participate. We need you to do the same. Unless of course you want me to do it." She added.

Paige rolled her eyes. "You keep saying that because you know I'm not going to let you do it." She said, annoyed. "Why won't you just come right out and say that you don't want to do it?"

Emily slowly smiled. "I guess that's a yes?" She said, ignoring Paige's question. When the girl didn't say anything, she continued. "Don't forget to use lip gloss. Makes your lips kissable."

"Hey I don't need to use that. I have kissable lips." Paige protested. "Stop insulting me!" She exclaimed.

Emily laughed. "Just use one." She insisted before giving Paige an encouraging pat on the back and walking away to find her friends.

"But I'm not going to kiss them on the lips!" Paige called out after the girl but Emily just kept walking. She sighed as her eyes followed Emily's retreating back, already dreading the fair next week.

* * *

"Why can't you shop next Saturday instead?" Aria asked her friend as she, Hanna and Emily sat on the floor with Spencer at their friend's living room that night.

They were currently taking a break from the group report they were doing for their Economics class which was due tomorrow. Having just finished the written report a few minutes ago, Spencer suggested that they have dinner first before preparing for the oral report so they could rest for a bit and while waiting for dinner to arrive, the conversation eventually drifted to Emily's plan this coming Saturday to shop for a prom dress.

"I'm going to be busy with other stuff. This Saturday's the only weekend I can shop for one." Emily explained from beside Spencer.

"But isn't it too early?" Spencer asked the girl next to her.

"No it isn't. I read somewhere that January and February are the perfect months to look for a prom dress." Emily revealed to her friends.

In front of Emily, Hanna suddenly sat up straight. "Where did you read that?!" She asked urgently.

"On the internet. Come on. Help me find a dress." Emily pleaded, facing the girl seated beside Hanna.

"Don't look at me. My mom needs me in the house this weekend. She decided to have a general cleaning and I can't get out of it." Aria said apologetically.

"Spence?" Emily uttered, turning to the girl seated beside her.

Spencer smiled faintly. "Sorry. You know I would love to come with you if I can but my dad set up this dinner with a friend of his and he was adamant that I join them. I think it has something to do with my application to UPenn." She admitted.

"What are you talking about? You're a shoe in." Emily stated.

"Don't jinx it!" Spencer exclaimed. "But I'm not talking about that. I meant the organization his friend is an alumnus of. My dad wants me to join it. Or something. I'm still trying to figure it all out."

"And like I said, my dad's flying in from Portland and he wants to spend time with me. I'm not gonna pass that. Sorry." Hanna said when Emily turned to face her.

Emily sighed. "Ugh. I really want to start looking for a dress this weekend." She said, running a hand through her hair. She furrowed her brows in concentration, trying to think of a solution to her problem when she suddenly grinned.

"Em, I don't like that look on your face. Don't even think about it." Spencer warned her friend, looking at Aria and Hanna for support.

"Think about what?" Emily asked innocently.

"Asking Paige to come with you! She doesn't know what a dress looks like." Hanna stated.

"Yes she does. She wore that dress for the Cupid costume." Emily reminded her friend.

Hanna scoffed. "Barely. She was so uncomfortable with it that she ended up chickening out." She pointed out.

Emily shrugged. "I think it's better. For our booth I mean. I didn't want to do the whole kissing booth thing." She admitted.

"Although you have to admit girls would line up if it meant getting to kiss you." Aria said wryly.

"But I won't hear the end of it from Paige if I did it. Remember what happened during Christmas?" Emily asked her friends.

Spencer laughed. "Who wouldn't? It was like Paige was on a personal mission to take down all the mistletoe in Rosewood. She kept saying something about how people need to go through her first before she lets them kiss you. It was so annoying and hilarious at the same time." She admitted.

"What I don't get though is why there's always a mistletoe even if she took them down already. It's crazy." Emily said thoughtfully. When she saw the looks her friends exchanged, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Is there something I should know?"

Hanna finally caved. "Like we said. It was hilarious." She began. "And consider it one of our paybacks for all the years she tortured, bullied and made fun of you. Just because you two are sort of getting along now doesn't mean we forget that easily."

"You three hung all those mistletoes?!" Emily exclaimed in disbelief.

"Not only that. We were selling them." Spencer said proudly. "We made it so girls can walk around town wearing it and when they bump into you, bam! Instant mistletoe!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

Emily shook her head. "Yeah well it didn't work. Paige was seriously like a hawk during the holiday season. I actually pitied her. It was like she was losing sleep because she was so paranoid that I'm going to kiss someone." She said wryly.

"That girl has serious trust issues, Em. She's not the one in a relationship but she's the one acting all possessive. No wonder she won't commit." Hanna observed.

"This actually works in our favor because if she does the whole kissing booth thing we know no one's going to get jealous." Emily reminded her friend. "Yeah. I think Paige is going to fare well next week. She's used to charming girls." She said confidently.

"I'm starting to think you should ask Paige to pay for every girl she gets to kiss instead of asking the girls to pay for it. She's just going to enjoy the whole thing." Aria pointed out.

"As long as Paige smiles while she kisses those girls I'm fine with it. She makes a really cranky Cupid." Emily revealed.

"So who's going to be Cupid then?" Spencer asked.

"I was thinking Daryl could pull it off. She insisted on wearing the dress shorter anyway." Emily explained. "Besides, with the way she was practically undressing Paige this afternoon? I think she'd be more than happy to take over for her if it meant seeing Paige behind the kissing booth."

Hanna suddenly squealed. "Sorry." She said when she saw the look her friends gave her. "I'm just so excited for next week. Especially the concert on Saturday to officially end the fair. I still can't believe you got all those bands to play." She admitted, beaming at Emily.

Emily smiled. "I know. It helped that we sent out the sponsorship letters as early as summer." She said, her thoughts immediately drifting to her girlfriend.

"And now you're missing Jai again." Spencer said knowingly.

"Sorry. It's just that, she helped me write that letter." Emily revealed, smiling sheepishly.

"So have you talked to her recently?" Aria asked gently.

Emily shook her head. "Not since New Year's Eve, no." She answered, trying to put on a brave face.

Spencer touched her friend's arm consolingly. "Well hang in there. Just a month to go and you're going to see her again." She reminded her friend, the three of them giving Emily an encouraging smile.

Emily nodded. "Which is why Paige is the perfect company for shopping for the dress. Well I mean, not perfect. Just... right. Why didn't I think of that sooner?" She thought out loud.

"What do you mean?" Aria asked cautiously.

"They're best friends. She knows what Jai would like to see me wear." Emily explained.

"Uh, Em I really think that's a bad idea." Spencer said, shaking her head along with Aria and Hanna. She waited for Emily to say something but their friend just smiled at them.

* * *

Paige checked the time on her watch for the umpteenth time as she tried to lock her bike again, struggling with the mechanism while cursing under her breath. Her hands refused to cooperate with her brain, making the mere task of locking her bike seem like such an arduous chore. She took a deep breath, wriggling her hands to try to stop them from trembling as she tried to lock her bike again. She stole a quick glance out of the corner of her eye and finally managed to lock her bike, securing the rear wheel and the frame.

"Paige!" Emily's excited tone beside her made Paige turn around and look up at the beaming girl in surprise.

"You really should've let me buy you that bike lock for Christmas. It takes you, what, fifteen minutes? Just to lock your bike every morning." Emily pointed out as she rested her hands on her knees and leaned forward to study Paige's bike closely.

"Thirty." Paige corrected as she stood up and grabbed her bag, slinging it on her shoulder.

"Why does it take you so long to lock your bike?" Emily asked as they began making their way inside the school. "When's your birthday? I'm going to buy you a new bike lock."

Paige shook her head as she followed Emily inside after the girl opened the door for them. "Don't bother. I love that lock. That lock has sentimental value to me." She insisted. "Forget my bike. Is there a reason you came up to me back there? Usually you and your friends just walk past me."

"Yeah I told them to go ahead. I wanted to ask you something." Emily admitted as they approached her locker.

"What?" Paige asked as she leaned her shoulder against the locker beside Emily's, waiting for the girl to explain.

"Do you have plans tomorrow?" Emily inquired, not meeting Paige's eyes as she busied herself with dialing her locker combination.

Paige narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why?" She asked.

"Can you go shopping for a prom dress with me?" Emily asked in one breath as she risked a glance at the girl who stood in open-mouthed surprise beside her.

Paige let out a short laugh. "I'm sorry. I thought I just heard you ask me to go shopping for a prom dress with you tomorrow." She said as she started laughing but stopped when she saw Emily's expression. "You're serious." She said in disbelief.

Emily nodded. "I wanted to go shopping for a prom dress tomorrow and I was hoping you could come with me." She explained.

"Why me?" Paige asked, confused.

"Because you're Jai's best friend." Emily answered. "You know her taste."

"In coffee and donuts probably. But clothes?" Paige said incredulously before shaking her head.

"Come on." Emily pleaded.

Paige moved when they heard the bell ring, signaling it was time for class. "Look, I'm sorry. I just don't want to go shopping with you for a prom dress. Ask one of your friends to come with you instead. I'm sure they could offer a better opinion than me." She said before walking past Emily to head to her class.

* * *

Emily searched the cafeteria, her eyes quickly scanning the crowd as she searched for a particular individual during lunch time. She really needed to buy her prom dress tomorrow and she was determined to convince Paige to accompany her. When she finally spotted the girl at her usual table, two tables away from the one she and her friends were occupying, she hurriedly stood up much to her friends' surprise.

"What's wrong?" Aria asked, following Emily's gaze.

"Nothing." Emily answered, glancing at her friends. "I just need to talk to Paige for a few minutes. I'll be right back."

"So I take it she said no this morning?" Spencer asked before Emily could leave the table.

"Yeah. But I'm still working on trying to convince her to come with me. I'll be right back." Emily repeated, this time moving before her friends could stop her.

Emily slowly made her way towards Paige who was currently engrossed in reading a book she was holding at eye-level. When she was close enough to be heard above the din of students around them having lunch, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Wow you are one slow reader." Emily teased when she saw the page the girl was at once she sat beside Paige. "You've been in the same page, no pun intended, since last week." She reminded the girl, smiling. "Why won't you go someplace else so you could read in peace? You're not getting any reading done with the noise level in here."

Paige shrugged. "I don't mind the noise." She answered; closing the book she was pretending to read amidst the chatter around her before turning to face Emily. "And my answer's still no by the way." She added, making the smile on Emily's lips disappear.

"But I haven't said anything yet." Emily protested.

"You didn't have to. It was written all over your face." Paige said wryly. "You need a favor. That's the only reason you're sitting here beside me. Otherwise you'd be over there, with your friends." She said, nodding her head towards the direction of the table Emily's friends sat around, trying hard to pretend they weren't watching them.

"Why won't you join us anyway? They're not going to bite you." Emily said lightly.

"Yeah but I might bite them." Paige corrected, making Emily roll her eyes. "Now go back to your friends. If you have the time to bother me to try to convince me to say yes, then surely you have the time to make one of them say yes to you instead." She said dismissively, opening the book she was reading to indicate that their conversation is over.

Emily reluctantly got up from beside Paige. "Fine. You win." She said dejectedly, pretending to give up. "I won't bother you about it again." She added before heading back to her friends.

* * *

Paige walked around her bike, her eyes scanning the surface for any scratch marks. Satisfied that there aren't any, she then crouched to check if the tires need air. School was over for the day and she was eager to head home so she could start training again. She caught sight of something from the corner of her eye and stood up, brushing her jeans for imaginary dirt as she walked around her bike once again.

"You really love that bike don't you?" Emily asked as she sauntered towards Paige, giving the girl a smile. "You're so obsessed with that thing that you're always inspecting it before leaving after school."

"I'm not obsessed I just… treasure it." Paige said for lack of a better word.

"You're obsessed." Emily repeated. "You inspect that thing for scratches every afternoon." She pointed out.

"I just want to make sure it's in good condition." Paige insisted. "No." She said when she saw Emily open her mouth to speak.

Emily laughed. "I haven't said anything yet!" She protested.

"You didn't fool me back at the cafeteria. You gave up way too easily considering you're more stubborn than me." Paige reminded the smiling girl.

"No I'm not!" Emily interjected but Paige ignored her.

"My point is, I know what you're going to say and the answer is still no. I know I promised Jai I'm going to keep you company. But dress shopping?! That is an _entirely_ different matter! I don't wear dresses ergo I don't shop for one." She explained.

"Come on. It's going to be fun." Emily insisted.

"I highly doubt that." Paige said as she briefly crouched to unlock her bike without any trouble.

"Think of all the opportunities I'm giving you to make fun of me while I try on dresses." Emily offered. "Each time I get out of the fitting room you can tell me how awful I look. Come on. I know you're dying to make fun of me."

"No. I'm not." Paige said as she rode her bike before taking a deep breath. "In case you haven't noticed, it's been a while since I've made fun of you. I don't want to watch you try on prom dresses Emily." She said, looking away. "Just ask one of your friends or your mom to go with you. I'm not going to change my mind." She said firmly before pedaling away leaving Emily confused.

* * *

"So I take it you're excited." Kayla said as she sank another pool ball, walking around the billiard table slowly to study her next shot. "You and your coaches have been preparing for this event for months, right?"

It was a Saturday afternoon and after breakfast earlier that day with Kayla, Logan and Emily, Paige went back to the Hayes household to spend time with Kayla like she promised that morning once she freshened up. She had been up since four in the morning, training for the upcoming Junior Elite Cups and though she was tired, she couldn't say no when Kayla asked if they could hang out.

Paige nodded. "We have. And I am more than excited. I'm stoked. Finally I'm getting a chance to compete in a draft-legal triathlon. If I perform well in this one, I get to qualify for the Junior Elite National Championship." She said eagerly as she gripped the cue stick with both hands and balanced it in front of her.

"When is it?" Kayla asked, sighing when she missed the next shot she took. "The Junior Elite Cups." She clarified.

"April. It's in Virginia." Paige added as she moved to begin her turn.

"So who's coming with you?" Kayla inquired, taking a step back to let Paige pass in front of her.

"Just me." Paige answered. "Kayla it's just a competition. I'll be fine on my own." She reassured the girl when she noticed Kayla's worried look.

"Paige if you place in the top twenty you get to qualify in the National Championships, right?" Kayla asked. When Paige nodded, she continued. "And that's the one with the competitions all over the world." She added eagerly. She knew how much Paige wanted to be able to compete on that level.

Paige nodded again. "Yeah. I want to be able to do that so badly." She admitted.

"Then I'm going to go to Virginia with you. For moral support among other things." Kayla insisted. "Besides, once Jai gets home you know she'd want to come with you too. We could have a road trip." She suggested excitedly.

"Or not. She and Emily have a lot of catching up to do once she gets home next month. I don't think going with me to Virginia after she's been back less than a month is at the top of the list. Corner pocket." Paige said, calling the shot as she sank the pool ball.

"Fine it's just the two of us then. I'll be your sidekick. Or your errand girl. Just give me something to do. I'd like to be able to say one day when you're on the news that I was your sidekick." Kayla said proudly.

Paige laughed. "Just as long as the news reports that I placed, not that I was injured during the race." She said as she rubbed chalk on the tip of her cue stick. "And don't call yourself a sidekick or an errand girl. Say that we've known each other for years and that you're the closest thing I have to a little sister. We're family."

Kayla's smile faltered for a moment, reminded that although she promised herself that she will always be what Paige needed her to be, it still hurt hearing the girl tell her that she's merely the younger sibling Paige never had.

"So does that mean I can come to Virginia with you?" Kayla asked, managing to give Paige a grin.

"I'm tempted to say yes. But your dad is going to flip when he finds out you've been missing school." Paige reminded her as she sank another pool ball.

Kayla shrugged. "That's because I'm not living up to his expectations. Not because he cares." She said offhandedly.

"Kayla." Paige said gently.

"It's true. The only time he cares is if he's reminded that I'm not doing as well as Jai. You and I both know that. But I'm used to it." Kayla said hurriedly. "It's better that he barely pays attention to me. At least I don't have to live up to his expectations. Jai set the bar so high it's not worth the trouble because it will never be enough."

"Your dad loves you and Jai." Paige reminded Kayla. "And don't sell yourself short. You have a good head on your shoulders."

Kayla smiled faintly. "I know he loves me, Paige. He just loves Jai more." She said quietly. "And I'm okay with it. I'm not mad at him or at Jai. I just wish he'd stop comparing us."

Paige moved to give Kayla a comforting hug but stopped short when she felt her phone vibrate from the back pocket of her jeans. When she saw who was calling, she looked at the girl apologetically. "I have to take this. I'll be quick." She promised as she handed to Kayla the cue stick she was holding.

"What?" Paige said into the phone once she was outside the game room.

"Sorry." Emily's upset tone came from the other end of the line. "Did I catch you at a bad time?" She asked cautiously.

"No. No." Paige repeated, running a hand through her hair. "What's wrong?" She asked when she heard the distress in Emily's voice. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." Emily said faintly.

"No it isn't. What's wrong?" Paige repeated worriedly.

"I'm really sorry. I wouldn't have called but my friends weren't answering my call. I have somewhere I need to be in thirty minutes but my mom's car broke down and I need a lift. Can you get me?" Emily asked urgently.

"Yeah. Sure. Where are you?" Paige asked as she went inside the game room again. "Okay. Okay. I'm here at the Hayes' so I can be there in ten." She promised as she listened to Emily. "No. Just stay put. Okay. Bye." She said before ending the call. "That was Emily." Paige explained when she saw Kayla's curious look. "I have to go. She ran into a bit of car trouble and I have to go help her."

Kayla shook her head, smiling in amusement. "I still can't believe you're calling Em by her name now." She admitted.

"I'll be back later." Paige promised, ignoring Kayla's comment as she picked up her jacket and put it on before heading for the door.

"Paige?" Kayla called out after the girl anxiously. "I know. About Em. And how much it hurts. Please be careful." She said, smiling faintly.

Paige nodded wordlessly before opening the door to leave.

* * *

"I don't get why you're so mad." Emily said as she quickened her pace to follow Paige.

_Because I ended up getting worried for no reason!_ "Where to begin?" Paige snapped as she turned abruptly to face Emily, surprising the girl. "You made it sound like you were in serious trouble. I get to you and not only are you not having car trouble, _you don't have a car at all_! All of this just to get me to go to the mall with you. Shopping for a prom dress is hardly a matter of life and death Emily. I left Kayla by herself because I thought you were in trouble."

"I don't get what the big deal is. Kayla's sixteen. She's hardly a kid. She can take care of herself." Emily pointed out.

"Remember that the next time Jai tells you to look after me. Kayla's sixteen, I'm _seventeen_. Older." Paige said, pointing to herself.

"Immature." Emily added. "Kayla's responsible. She's like a mini Jai in the making." She reminded the scowling girl.

"She's not. She's Kayla. Not mini Jai, not Jai in the making." Paige said quietly, making Emily furrow her brows in confusion. "You don't have any idea what goes on in the Hayes household when you're not around." She explained.

"I'm really sorry." Emily said sincerely. "It's just that I'm really excited about Jai coming home and I wanted to buy a prom dress first before she gets back."

"It's not for a wedding Emily. It's just a prom dress. It's not bad luck if Jai saw you wearing it." Paige said, annoyed.

"I know. But I don't want Jai to see me buy it. I want it to be a surprise." Emily explained as she headed towards a store.

"Well don't you have friends for this?" Paige asked as she followed Emily inside.

"I do. That's why you're here." Emily stated although she knew Paige still refused to admit they're friends.

"I am _not_ your shopping buddy. Why am I even here?!" Paige exclaimed as they went past a rack of formal dresses.

"Because you owe me." Emily answered.

"You and Jai scare me. You two are so alike it's creepy." Paige said as they stopped in front of a rack and Emily began to check out some dresses.

"How are we alike?" Emily asked, distracted.

"_You owe me_? You two like to say that a lot don't you? Especially to me." Paige added.

"Well it's true. You do owe me." Emily pointed out as she removed a dress from the rack to look at it.

"Again. It was a one-time thing! Which you said I repaid by participating in the kissing booth." Paige reminded Emily as she watched the girl return the dress.

"This is for the other favor." Emily supplied, walking past Paige to look for more dresses.

"Which was a one-time thing too!" Paige called out after Emily.

"And I went out of my way to do it." Emily said when Paige caught up to her. "Come on. Help me pick out a dress. You know Jai's taste." She said, glancing at Paige briefly.

"So do you." Paige reminded her. "You just want to torture me because you know how much I hate shopping. Why can't Hanna come with you?"

"Because her dad is visiting from Portland and he wants to spend time with her. Spencer is having dinner with her dad and a friend of his to talk about UPenn and Aria is helping her mom with the general cleaning of their house. You're it." Emily explained.

"Oh now I feel so much better. I was your last pick!" Paige exclaimed. "Now I get why you kept asking me the whole day yesterday. They already said no to you."

"Hey you asked." Emily said defensively. "Come on. You're here already. I'll treat you to a pretzel later." She offered.

"Wow. Now it's down to bribing. I can see why you and Jai hit it off. Really." Paige commented, shaking her head.

"Why are you so reluctant to come with me? It's not like you're swamped." Emily said as she stopped in front of another rack and rummaged it for a dress.

"I just don't like shopping for clothes. Especially dresses. And I don't want to spend the rest of my day telling you to _turn_. _Turn again_. _Turn again_. _Oh that looks good on you_. _Oh that looks better_... _Oh wait_..." Paige mocked.

"Fine I get it." Emily said, laughing. "Look. You haven't gone shopping with me before. I'm not like other girls, okay? I can make up my mind fast." She insisted.

Paige scoffed. "Yeah right." She said sarcastically.

"Ask Jai." Emily challenged.

"Jai is in love with you. That's why she's so patient. I, on the other hand, am not." Paige pointed out.

"In love with me?" Emily asked, confused.

"What?" Paige asked, her voice hoarse.

"Which are you not? In love with me or patient?" Emily asked innocently.

Paige felt her pulse race, terrified that Emily figured her out. That is, until the girl started laughing.

"Kidding. God Paige. You should've seen your face. You look so horrified. I was kidding. I know you're not in love with me. You can barely stand me." Emily pointed out, trying to control her laughter.

"Just start trying on dresses will you?" Paige snapped impatiently, walking past Emily to try to hide her flushed cheeks.

* * *

"So. What do you want to do next?" Emily asked Paige enthusiastically as she exited the fifth store they went inside with a paper bag in hand this time.

After walking around the mall for hours, Emily finally found the dress she wanted to wear for prom with the help of a reluctant Paige who grew more and more uncomfortable with every dress Emily tried on. Paige tried her best to be helpful but everytime Emily stepped out of the fitting room, she ended up saying nothing, unable to put into words what she thought about every dress Emily wore. She knew Emily probably now regretted trying to convince her several times to say yes because she was unable to contribute anything at all. Unless of course she counted that one time she tried to help Emily by zipping up the dress and in her nervousness it took her all of five minutes to do it, almost ruining the zipper in the process.

"I wanna go home." Paige said faintly, glancing at the paper bag Emily held in her hand as she forced herself to forget how the girl looked in the royal blue Grecian dress she bought.

Emily stared at Paige. "What? Come on. I'm serious about paying you back for helping me buy a dress." She insisted.

"Helping? You twisted my arm. Actually, you pretended your mom's car broke down and you needed a ride. Then you ambushed me into coming with you." Paige corrected.

Emily shrugged. "Seems like a waste of opportunity since you drove me to the mall already." She said nonchalantly. "Come on. Do you want to have a late lunch? Early dinner?" She suggested as she led the way towards the food court.

"I'd rather go home." Paige said stubbornly, refusing to spend more time with Emily today.

Emily stopped walking and faced Paige. "Are you still mad at me? You barely said anything the entire time I was trying on dresses. I was actually waiting for you to make fun of me." She admitted. "I'm really sorry for tricking you into coming with me today. It's just that this is the only weekend I'm free to shop for a prom dress and my friends were all busy."

Paige sighed. "It's fine. Can we just go home now?" She pleaded.

Emily looked past Paige and her eyes suddenly lit up. "I know! Let's watch a movie!" She said eagerly when she saw a movie poster behind Paige.

"What? _No_. Are you even listening to me?" Paige asked, annoyed.

"Come on. My treat. Movie, food and drinks!" Emily offered as she headed towards the direction of the cinemas this time.

"Emily." Paige protested, grudgingly following the girl. She stopped when Emily faced her again.

"Stay right here. I'll buy the tickets. They're showing this film I know you're going to love!" Emily exclaimed, taking Paige's hand to give her the paper bag with the prom dress inside before jogging towards the ticket booth.

Paige stared after Emily then at the paper bag she held in her hand, speechless as her mind tried to process what just happened.

* * *

Two and a half hours later, Paige exited the theatre with the rest of the moviegoers. But unlike the rest of the crowd who couldn't stop talking about the movie they just saw, she was in a daze, unable to put into words the thoughts going through her mind about the film she just forced herself to sit through.

"That was _so_ cool." Emily said from behind Paige.

Paige turned around to face Emily, the look of incredulity on her face making the other girl stop in her tracks. "You're kidding. Right?" She asked, placing her hands inside her jacket's pockets.

Emily shook her head. "Nope. I loved it. Didn't you?" She inquired as she moved past Paige to start walking.

"I loved the previews." Paige offered.

"What? That film was awesome!" Emily protested.

Paige scoffed. "That was hardly a film. Are you done punishing me?" She asked, glancing at the girl walking next to her.

"It's not a punishment. I was under the impression you'd enjoy it!" Emily explained.

"What on earth gave you that impression?!" Paige retorted.

"Jai loves it." Emily revealed.

Paige gave out a short laugh. "That is so presumptuous of you. Thinking that just because my best friend loves historical documentaries I would love them too." She added.

"I just thought since you and Jai are best friends your preferences are the same." Emily admitted sheepishly.

Paige shook her head. "Not in film it isn't. And what kind of logic is that? Even siblings have different preferences." She pointed out.

"Yeah but siblings are forced to get along because they're family. Friends become friends because they share same interests." Emily argued.

"Yeah but not entirely the same. Otherwise it's just like looking in a mirror. And even twins have differing interests. Being too similar is just boring. In any relationship it's better if you complement each other than agree with each other all the time. I mean, look at you and your friends." Paige said as she weaved her way around the crowd.

"I know that. I just meant you two are friends but you're so different I thought your film preferences may be the one thing you two have in common." Emily explained.

"Well that's not it." Paige said vaguely.

"So why didn't you say anything?" Emily asked. "If you hated it so much we could've just left the theatre and went to get coffee instead."

"Or we could've just gone home like I was telling you two and a half hours ago." Paige reminded her.

"So why didn't you say anything?" Emily asked again.

"I was about to. But when I turned to face you I saw that you were enjoying it. And you paid for everything. So I decided to rest my eyes for a bit instead." Paige confessed. "So can we leave this place now? I promised Kayla I'll come back."

"Yeah okay." Emily said as she followed Paige towards the direction of the parking lot. "So how did you two become friends in the first place?" She asked without looking at Paige.

"I don't know exactly. Jai just left me with her one day and we started talking, realized we get along well, and now we're friends." Paige answered.

"I meant you and Jai. How did you and Jai become friends?" Emily clarified.

"You mean because Jai is just so perfect and I'm such a mess?" Paige said, choosing to pick a fight than answer the question.

Emily shook her head. "No. Just that Jai is so serious about everything. She has all these plans to reach her dreams and you..."

"Don't?" Paige interjected.

"I just haven't heard you talk about your future as much as she does. Like you're not looking forward to it." Emily admitted.

"It's not like anybody will listen. And just because I don't talk about it doesn't mean I don't dream. I just don't plan too far out. I don't have the luxury of that. I wake up every morning and my plan is to just find a way to make it through the day." Paige explained as they exited the mall.

"How come?" Emily asked, hurrying to catch up to Paige as the girl headed for her dad's car.

Paige shrugged. "That's just the way it has to be. I've been doing that since I was ten and it's been working so far." She said distractedly.

"Is that enough?" Emily inquired, stopping when they reached the Buick Encore.

Paige took out the keys to her dad's car and walked to the driver's side as she unlocked the doors. "Yeah. I don't have this special someone in my life so I don't have to plan for our future. It's just me and I am fine with that." She said as she got inside and buckled her seatbelt.

"So you're saying if you meet someone you might start thinking about your future years from now." Emily stated as she got inside the car and closed the door behind her, buckling her seatbelt as well.

Paige locked the doors and inserted the key into the ignition. "I'm saying if I meet someone and I decide to commit I might change my entire future for her." She revealed before starting the car and shifting the gear into drive.

* * *

Emily woke up on the morning of Valentine's Day, her eyes immediately setting its sights on a bouquet of what looked like two dozen long-stemmed red roses, a medium-sized rectangular box and a teddy bear in a Cupid's costume. _Jai_. She said to herself, her thoughts immediately drifting to her girlfriend when she saw the presents and she got up and quickly made her way to the windowseat. She touched the soft petals of one of the roses before taking the card and reading it, stealing a glance at the medium-sized rectangular box and smiling when she saw that it was a box full of chocolate-covered strawberries. She leaned forward and gently took the teddy bear, studying the stuffed toy donning a Cupid's costume as she turned it over and over in her hands. She let out a delighted laugh when she accidentally pressed its belly and the bear made a sound.

_"I wuv you beary much."_ Jai's voice suddenly filled the room, making Emily hug the bear close to her.

"I see you've found the gifts Jai sent you." Pam said in greeting behind her.

Emily turned around, smiling at her mom. "She sent these from London?" She asked, hugging the bear closer to her.

Pam nodded. "It was delivered early this morning. I wanted you to see them when you woke up so I placed them there." She explained.

"Thanks." Emily said, turning around briefly to place the stuffed toy back on the windowseat. "She didn't call?" She asked her mom, disappointed.

"She did." Pam revealed. "But you were asleep." She added hurriedly when Emily was about to complain. "And she didn't want me to wake you up. She said she's going to call you later instead."

"Oh." Emily said, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "I wish you just woke me up."

"Sweetie I know how much you miss her. And I can tell just from her voice how much she misses you too. She's going to call you again." Pam reassured her daughter.

"She's been so busy lately mom. She might be too swamped to call me again." Emily said quietly.

"She promised she was going to call you." Pam repeated. "I'm sure she'll find a way." When Emily didn't say anything, Pam walked over to the windowseat and picked up the bouquet. "I'm going to put these in a vase." She said, gesturing to the roses. "You have a busy day ahead of you. I made some French toast and there's some bacon and eggs. Coffee too. We better head downstairs. You don't want to be late for school."

Emily nodded. "I'll be right there." She promised. When she was finally alone, she got up and walked towards the windowseat again, taking the bear in her hands and pressing its belly repeatedly.

_I wuv you beary much. I wuv you beary much. I wuv you beary much._

_Please call again_. Emily thought sadly.

* * *

"Paige! Hey Paige! Want to give it a try?" A cute girl with wavy, shoulder-length black hair and a dimpled smile asked just as Paige walked past a booth.

Paige stopped in her tracks and glanced at the sign above the booth before shaking her head at the girl. "I don't think so." She said, walking closer to the girl.

It was just past three in the afternoon and Paige was on her scheduled break from her so-called duties at the kissing booth. She decided to take a stroll around the fairgrounds, check out some of the booths the other clubs and organizations decided to set up at this year's fair when she came across this particular booth. The booth couples keep making a beeline for once they enter the fairgrounds. The marriage booth.

"Not your cup of tea?" The girl asked, smiling flirtatiously.

"Not really, no." Paige answered. "I'm manning the kissing booth with Connor, Hanna and Greg. That's more my cup of tea."

"Me too." The girl admitted. "I've been meaning to check out that booth of yours actually but I'm busy fake-marrying couples here."

Out of the corner of her eye, Paige noticed a guy wearing a black shirt with a design on the front weaving his way around the crowd in panic while looking behind him once a while. When the guy was nearing her, Paige stepped forward to move out of the guy's path, shaking her head in amusement. A few seconds later, two students from the debate club dressed in police uniforms went past her, in pursuit of the guy in the black shirt.

"Who are they locking up now?" Paige asked the girl.

"You mean the jail booth? Guys in black shirts with abstract designs." The girl answered.

"I don't get why they run though. They can post bail, right? Once they get caught and they're brought to the makeshift precinct they can just pay the bail and they're free to go." Paige explained, her eyes trying to see where the guy and the two students pursuing him went. "Saves you the trouble of getting tired trying to lose them."

"I guess it's the challenge and the rush you feel when you know you've managed to evade the 'law'." The girl said as she used air quotes. "I don't mind breaking the rules once a while."

"Oh yeah? So why are you waiting for your break?" Paige asked, moving closer. "Let's just go back to the kissing booth now so I can give you that dollar kiss you've been hoping to get."

The girl blushed. "I'm actually on break right now but my friend asked me to take over for a bit while she made a call. I don't know when she'll be back though." She said ruefully. "But I happen to have a dollar with me right now." She added as she pulled out a bill from her pocket.

"That's a twenty." Paige said, glancing at the bill the girl was holding. "And I don't have a change with me."

The girl shrugged. "Twenty kisses on the cheek then?" She suggested.

"I could do that. But is that really what you want... Valerie?" Paige asked as she glanced at the girl's nametag. "Ten kisses on each cheek could easily get old and I want you to be able to get your money's worth."

"Then how much is a kiss on the lips worth?" Valerie asked boldly, starting to lean forward.

Paige gave the girl a flirtatious smile. "For you?" She asked, moving her hand towards the girl's. "I don't know. Why don't we find out somewhere private?"

"What's going on here?" Emily's seemingly innocent tone beside her made Paige groan in frustration.

"Nothing much. Valerie and I were just talking about the pros and cons of a marriage booth and a kissing booth. I think we were actually making some progress." Paige explained as she turned to face Emily, jerking her head inconspicuously to try to make Emily leave but the girl ignored her subtle gesture.

"Oh. I'm more of a marriage booth myself." Emily said nonchalantly as she leaned against one of the posts supporting the booth. "Jai and I always go here."

"Yes. Thank you. For that fond trip down memory lane." Paige said sarcastically. "But the rest of us are fine with the kissing booth at this point in our lives. Now I'm sure as social chair you have _lots_ of booths left to visit before your shift ends. Wouldn't want to hold you back. Go on now." She said, making a shooing motion.

Emily checked the time on her watch. "I have time." She said, smiling at Paige. "So. How's Dominique?"

"Dominique?" Valerie asked, looking at Paige and Emily alternately.

Paige shook her head at the confused girl. "She's no one." She said offhandedly.

"If by no one you mean the girl you've loved for years then yeah, she's definitely no one." Emily said, ignoring Paige's scathing glare.

"I'm confused. Word around school is you weren't seeing anyone." Valerie told Paige accusingly.

"I'm not!" Paige exclaimed. "I swear I'm not." She insisted before turning to face Emily. "Stop trying to bring up Dominique. She doesn't care what I do."

"Okay I'm gonna go now." Valerie said as she looked past the two girls who were about to start fighting. "My friend's here so I'm gonna take a break." She added before stepping away from the booth.

"I'll keep you company." Paige called after the girl but before she could move she felt Emily's hand on her arm. "Will you let me go?" She exclaimed, annoyed.

"No. Instead of trying to forget about Dominique why don't you actually tell her how you feel?" Emily asked, her grip tightening on Paige's arm.

"Because that isn't an option Emily. Telling her how I feel wouldn't accomplish anything. She doesn't want to be with me. She made that perfectly clear. So no. I'm not going to tell her. Especially when things are complicated." Paige said impatiently. "I'm going to go find Valerie and enjoy the rest of my break before I have to head back to the kissing booth and start getting paid a dollar for a kiss again. And you, you'll go back to making the rounds, make sure everything is going smoothly." She instructed, about to raise her right hand to point behind Emily when she felt something cold around her wrist. "What the...?"

"Hey guys." An eager voice from behind the marriage booth greeted them, making Paige turn her attention from the handcuff on her wrist to the girl standing in front of them instead.

"Chloe. What's the meaning of this?" Emily asked, raising her left arm and dragging Paige's right as she pointed to the metal cuff on her wrist.

"I'm so glad you two decided to support our booth." Chloe said, beaming at them.

"Support your... No. No. There's been a mistake. We're not here to get married." Paige clarified.

"But you're already fighting like one." Chloe pointed out.

Paige took a deep breath, trying to control her temper. "Uncuff us right now or I swear..."

"What Paige meant to say was _please_ uncuff us right now Chloe." Emily interjected, giving Paige a disapproving glare. "I have to make the rounds before my shift ends and Paige has to return to the kissing booth in a few minutes." She explained patiently.

Chloe shook her head. "No can do. You can do those things handcuffed to each other." She suggested.

"No. We can't." Paige corrected.

"No killjoys remember? Everyone has to participate. That's what you said." Chloe said, looking at Emily.

Paige turned to stare at Emily as well. "You _just_ had to say those words at the meeting didn't you?" She said sarcastically.

"I had no idea this was going to happen." Emily told Paige uneasily.

Paige sighed. "How long do we have to stay like this?" She asked Chloe.

"An hour. Then you can come back here and I can uncuff you." Chloe explained.

"You better be here when we get back or I swear..." Paige said, taking a small step forward but Emily held her back.

"We'll see you in an hour." Emily said to Chloe hurriedly before moving away from the marriage booth, followed close behind by Paige. "Ow!" She exclaimed when she felt the metal cuff dig on her skin.

"Sorry but I was going to go this way." Paige said, pointing to her left.

"Yeah well I'm going this way." Emily said, pointing to her right.

"My break's almost over!" Paige blurted out.

"Well I just need to make a few more rounds then I'm done." Emily argued.

"I can't be late. Hanna is going to kill me." Paige pointed out.

"I'll explain it to her." Emily reassured Paige. "Come on. Go with me first then I'll accompany you to the kissing booth." She offered.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Like you have a choice." She shot back as she reluctantly fell into step beside Emily to do the rounds. "Just do me a favor."

"What?" Emily asked as she headed for the ring toss booth.

"Remember that it was you who tricked me into doing this kissing booth thing. So whatever you see while handcuffed to me, keep your mouth shut. Don't ever mention Dominique." Paige warned the girl.

"Okay." Emily promised. "Just as long as you don't enjoy the attention too much."

"What I do with my time is none of your business. Dominique and I will never be together and I'm trying to move on. So what if I enjoy the attention? I'm not with anyone." Paige reminded Emily.

"Because you're too scared to tell her how you feel." Emily stated.

Paige shook her head. "I'm not scared. I just choose not to do anything about it." She corrected.

Emily stole a glance at the scowling girl walking next to her and a mental image of Paige at their meeting last week made her laugh.

"What now?" Paige asked, annoyed.

Emily shook her head. "Sorry. I just... Just think. If you agreed to be Cupid I'd be walking around with a girl in a tight short dress, a halo, a pair of wings and a bow and arrow. I'm going to be handcuffed to a cranky Cupid." She said, laughing again.

Paige frowned. "I really don't see the humor in that." She said wryly.

* * *

An hour later, Paige tapped impatiently on the top surface of the marriage booth, trying to get the attention of the girl who was currently on all fours, rummaging through some things at the back of the booth.

"Chloe. We're here. Just like you told us. One hour. Can we get divorced now?" Paige asked anxiously.

Chloe looked at them and hastily got up. "Sure." She said as she approached the two girls, seemingly nervous. "Let me just find the key for that handcuff and you two will be on your way." She added as she looked around her. "While we're all here, I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you. For participating in our booth."

"Yeah well it's not like we had a choice. You caught us off guard." Paige pointed out.

Chloe nodded. "Still. Thanks for being such a good sport. Really. Thank you. Are you sure you two can't spend a few more hours together? Check out the fairgrounds handcuffed to each other?" She suggested.

Paige narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Chloe." She uttered quietly. "Where's the key?"

"I can't find it." Chloe confessed, looking at Emily for help.

"What do you mean you can't find it?" Emily asked, starting to get anxious.

"I mean I lost the key." Chloe clarified.

"What do you mean you lost the key?!" Paige asked incredulously.

"I mean I lost it." Chloe repeated apologetically.

"Chloe!" Paige snapped, irritated.

"Sorry!" Chloe said hurriedly.

"Ugh! Find a saw or something!" Paige ordered the terrified girl.

"Hey I'm not losing my hand!" Emily hastily told Paige. "Find the spare." She instructed Chloe gently.

"I'm so sorry! I know I have it here somewhere. I just can't find it." Chloe insisted.

"Well start looking instead of making small talk! I need to get home!" Paige snapped.

"Paige!" Emily exclaimed, trying to control the situation. "Chloe it's fine. No harm done. Just keep looking for the key." She told the girl who looked like she was about to cry.

"I'm really sorry. I promise I'm gonna keep looking for it." Chloe said before going down on all fours again to go back to searching for the key.

Emily dragged an annoyed Paige away from the marriage booth and faced the girl once they were out of earshot. "What the hell was that?" She asked Paige in a low voice.

"I need to get home. I have training." Paige explained, not meeting Emily's eyes.

"Well say it nicely. You don't have to bite her head off. It's not like she intentionally lost it." Emily pointed out. "Come on. Try to see the light side of things." She urged, trying to improve Paige's mood.

"I need to get home and I need to pee. Unless you can solve those two things I refuse to see the light side of things. In fact, I'm currently seeing red right now!" Paige exclaimed.

Emily sighed. "Look. I know Chloe isn't the brightest of people but at least she's trying. You should take some lessons from her." She said lightly.

Paige glared at Emily. "I'll pretend I didn't hear you compare me to Chloe just now." She said, offended.

"I didn't. I just said she's trying." Emily clarified.

"Something you think I need to be doing as well. Duly noted. Still doesn't change the fact that she lost the key and now I'm stuck in this fair when I could be doing something somewhere. Why aren't you frustrated?!" Paige asked, puzzled.

"I am. I'm frustrated too. You think you're the only one who needs to be somewhere?" Emily asked rhetorically. "But standing around ranting about it won't get me anywhere. And I know Chloe didn't mean to lose that key. So I'm choosing to look at the light side of things." She explained gently.

"Which is what?" Paige asked reluctantly.

* * *

"That's it. You're not done punishing me at all." Paige declared as she and Emily stood in front of a colorful tent set up in the middle of the fairgrounds, regretting asking Emily earlier to show her the light side of being handcuffed to each other.

"I am not punishing you." Emily said reassuringly as she stood beside Paige.

Paige groaned. "Yes you are. This isn't the light side of things at all. This is ridiculous." She said, pointing to the tent in front of them as she looked at Emily.

"No it's not." Emily insisted.

"You seriously want me to go inside with you?" Paige asked reluctantly.

"Well unless you magically produce the key to this handcuff, you have no choice." Emily reasoned out.

"Emily." Paige pleaded.

"Come on. What's the harm in getting your fortune told? You're not scared are you?" Emily teased.

"Of a fake psychic? Please. I just don't understand why you want yours told." Paige said, scratching her head in confusion.

"I'm just curious." Emily admitted.

"Is this about you and Jai? Are you starting to have doubts?" Paige asked cautiously.

"No." Emily answered, not meeting Paige's eyes.

Paige laughed. "Liar." She said, making Emily's cheeks flush in embarrassment.

"I'm not going to ask the psychic about my love life, okay? I'm going to ask her about my life in general." Emily clarified. "And Madame Clarissa isn't a fake psychic. She's the real deal."

Paige scoffed, refusing to believe that the woman inside can predict the future. "Come on. You know these fake psychics know that people, especially girls, love hearing about what the cards hold about their love life. She's going to tell you exactly what you want to hear. And like a girl in love you're going to start swooning about the fact that you and Jai are meant to be." She mocked.

"I don't swoon!" Emily said, hitting Paige on the arm indignantly.

"Ow!" Paige exclaimed. "Is what I would say if it hurt but you hit like a girl!" She said while rubbing her arm.

"I _am_ a girl!" Emily protested.

Paige shrugged. "Could've fooled me." She shot back.

"Come on. We'll go do something you like after." Emily bargained.

Paige shook her head. "No way. This is a waste of time!" She pointed out.

"Let me get my fortune told or I'm telling Jai you got Kayla drunk." Emily threatened, trying to keep a straight face.

Paige looked at the girl in open-mouthed shock. "Hey that was you! And if Jai was here she wouldn't be caught dead within fifty feet of this place." She stated.

"Yes she would. Because she loves me." Emily reminded the girl.

"Because she's whipped." Paige shot back.

"Because she loves me." Emily repeated.

"Ugh!" Paige exclaimed, frustrated.

"Come on!" Emily goaded.

Paige studied the girl who was trying hard to hide her excitement and caved. "You're paying for mine." She said after a beat.

Emily's lips broke into an eager smile. "Done." She said as she hastily led the way inside the tent, dragging a reluctant Paige with her.

* * *

"You have already met your one true love." Madame Clarissa said solemnly when she turned over another tarot card Emily picked from the deck earlier.

At that, Paige rolled her eyes when she noticed Emily's reaction at the psychic's words. The girl was starting to swoon. Just like she predicted. Maybe she and this Madame Clarissa person can start a business of their own.

"But the road to happiness is not easy. Things have been set into motion and a great change is about to come your way. You must be willing to accept this change and open your heart and mind to new possibilities for your love to endure it. Do this and you and this person will find that happiness." Madame Clarissa continued.

Paige tried her best not to laugh out loud. This psychic was the worst she has ever seen. She was about to say something when she felt Emily kick her shin and she bit her lip to keep from cursing. The girl could actually make the pain count if she wanted to.

When Emily looked at her, Paige shook her head. "No thanks. I think I'll pass with the whole fortunetelling." She said, not wanting to make Emily pay for hers when she would probably fall asleep while being told that she has met her one true love as well.

Emily shrugged and stood up. "Thank you." She said to the fortuneteller. "And I would have to apologize for my friend here."

Madame Clarissa smiled understandingly at Paige. "Not everyone wants to hear what their future holds for them." She said to the girl who was vehemently shaking her head on Emily's comment about them being friends.

Before Paige could open her mouth to respond to the fortuneteller's words, Emily paid the woman and dragged Paige outside with her.

"I want to go on that dunk tank thing." Paige said, looking around her to see where she spotted the gigantic transparent tank earlier tonight.

Emily bit back a grin. "Yeah I'd like to try my hand on that one too." She admitted.

Paige glanced at Emily. "I know that tone. We're not going to be in that makeshift diving board. Not when we're handcuffed." She clarified. "Besides, it's freezing. Jai's going to kill me if you catch a cold. I meant I want to hit a target. Dunk someone." She added.

"Fine. I did say we'll do something you like after." Emily reminded her.

"Just don't throw like a girl." Paige warned Emily.

"Hey I have good aim!" Emily protested.

Paige smirked. "Let's see about that." She said challengingly.

"I think it's this way." Emily said, leading the way. "Ow!" She exclaimed when Paige stopped walking abruptly behind her, making the metal cuff dig on her skin once again. "What?" She asked, looking behind her.

"Did you hear that?" Paige asked nervously.

"Hear what?" Emily inquired, confused.

"Jail booth." Paige said urgently.

"What about it?" Emily asked impatiently, eager to start heading for the dunk tank booth.

"They just announced they're locking up people in handcuffs." Paige revealed. "Oh no." She muttered when she looked past Emily.

"What?" Emily asked, turning around to see why Paige suddenly seemed pale.

"Run." Paige ordered.

"Run?" Emily repeated.

"Run!" Paige shouted, grabbing Emily's hand and breaking into a run as students from the debate club wearing police clothes spotted them and began to pursue them.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Emily stole a quick look behind her to see if they were still being pursued before facing forward again, this time trying to slow down her pace.

"I think they gave up." Emily told Paige breathlessly.

"Are you sure?" Paige asked, not willing to risk a glance behind them in case she might trip on something.

"I am. Just in time. I think I'm about to pass out." Emily admitted as she slowed down to a jog then to a walk. "I need a drink." She said as she led the way back towards the direction they came.

"Okay. Let's get some at the Home Ec's booth." Paige agreed as she subtly released her hold on Emily's hand.

"And some food. I'm starving." Emily added as they walked leisurely around the fairgrounds, navigating the crowd which has thickened when night came.

"Where can you get a decent food here? They only sell junk foods." Paige stated, nodding her head towards the row of stalls they're nearing.

"Then eat one corn dog." Emily suggested as she studied each stall.

"What? No. I'm not eating corn dog." Paige said adamantly.

Emily laughed. "Well you have to eat something coz I just heard your stomach grumble." She pointed out.

"I'm fine with drinking water." Paige said distractedly.

"What's wrong with eating one corn dog?" Emily asked, stopping in front of a stall selling corn dogs.

"I'm in training." Paige reminded the girl.

"You're always in training." Emily shot back.

"This is different. I'm not eating corn dog." Paige insisted as they resumed walking.

"Funnel cake?" Emily suggested. She laughed when she saw Paige cringe at the idea of eating one. Her eyes suddenly lit up when she saw the food at the next stall. "Pizza. I'm getting you pizza." She declared, leading the way.

Paige reluctantly followed before the metal cuff could dig on her skin. "If it's greasy I'm not touching it." She said under her breath.

* * *

"Paige your stomach is growling. I can hear it from this distance. Eat your pizza." Emily urged before taking a sip from her bottled water.

Paige stared at the slice of Hawaiian pizza Emily bought for her and she shook her head. "No thanks." She said as she watched Emily remove the pineapples from the pizza she was eating. "What are you doing?" She asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Removing the pineapples." Emily answered, stating the obvious.

"Yeah. I can see that. _Why_?" Paige inquired, puzzled.

"I don't like it." Emily admitted.

Paige let out a short laugh. "So why did you get a Hawaiian pizza?" She asked, staring at Emily in confusion.

Emily shrugged. "I like the sweetness of the pineapple but not the pineapple itself." She explained as she continued to remove the pineapples.

"You're weird." Paige stated, shaking her head.

Emily quickly looked at Paige. "I'm not!" She said indignantly. "I just don't like pineapples in pizzas so I make Jai eat them since she loves them so much. But she isn't here so I have to throw them away." She explained.

"And from the look on your face I'm guessing you don't like the idea of doing that." Paige observed.

Emily nodded. "There are less fortunate people out there who are starving and I feel like I'm wasting food." She admitted.

Paige sighed. "Put them in mine." She said after a beat, extending her plate of pizza so Emily can transfer the pineapples in it.

"Really?" Emily asked, surprised.

"Yeah. But I'm still not going to eat it now." Paige insisted as she watched Emily transfer the pineapples to her plate using a fork.

"Why?" Emily inquired.

"Because I don't want to ruin dinner with my dad and if I eat this by the time I get home I'm going to be full. I don't want my dad to eat dinner by himself." Paige explained.

"Suit yourself." Emily said as she finished transferring all the pineapple from her pizza to Paige's. "So what does she look like?" She suddenly asked.

"What does who look like?" Paige asked as she lowered the plate of pizza between them once again.

"Dominique." Emily clarified, taking a bite of her own pizza.

Paige sighed. "Again?" She said wryly.

"I'm just curious." Emily admitted. When Paige didn't say anything, she decided to start the ball rolling. "Is she pretty?"

"That's an understatement." Paige said, looking away. "She's gorgeous. Brown eyes, long eyelashes, black hair that flows like silk. Perfect smile." She said quietly.

Emily nodded. Dominique does sound very pretty. "What's she like?" She inquired, chewing her pizza slowly.

Paige took a deep breath. "Graceful. Fun. Sweet. Down-to-earth. Really smart." She rambled on, not meeting Emily's eyes.

They sat for a moment in silence as Emily ate her pizza and Paige swung her legs to and fro, using the wall of the ledge they were sitting on to push her feet forward.

"So we almost got caught back there." Paige finally said, trying to make conversation.

Emily nodded. "I'm just thankful they gave up trying to pursue us. We're handcuffed to each other and you're already cranky. I hate to imagine what you'd be like if they caught us and put us in a cage for an hour." She admitted, smiling.

Paige smiled. "I'm going to go crazy." She supplied.

"I know. Good thing I was fast." Emily said, wiping her mouth with a tissue as she finished eating her dinner.

Paige scoffed. "Fast? I was practically dragging you." She reminded the girl, her thoughts involuntarily returning to the moment she held Emily's hand in hers. "I was fast. You were okay." She corrected.

"Hey I was fast." Emily insisted. "You were just... faster." She added reluctantly.

"Whatever. You still almost had us captured and I wasn't able to do that dunk tank." Paige complained. "You blackmailed me into entering that psychic's tent but I never got to do my dunk tank." She said, pouting.

Emily laughed. "I didn't blackmail you! And I'm sorry we never got to do the dunk tank. But it's not fun anyway." She said dismissively.

"What? It's totally fun!" Paige insisted.

"Not if you're the one doing the dunking it's not. I think it's more exciting if you're sitting on that diving board, waiting for someone to hit the bull's-eye. I've always wanted to try that actually. But Jai won't let me." Emily admitted.

"Seriously?" Paige asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Like you said, the water's cold and she doesn't want me getting sick." Emily explained.

Paige shrugged. "Well I've tried it several times. The water's fine. We're swimmers. Our bodies can take it. At least mine could." She clarified.

"Then you must have thick skin." Emily teased. "Like a crocodile's or an alligator's." She added, making Paige glare at her indignantly.

"Hey I have soft skin!" Paige protested.

"Did someone tell you that or that's merely your opinion?" Emily asked, trying to hide her laughter.

"A little bit of both." Paige answered, making Emily laugh.

"What?" Emily suddenly asked when she saw Paige looking at her curiously.

Paige shook her head. "You just look happy. Considering it's Valentine's Day and Jai's not here." She explained.

"I _am_ happy. We're getting along. At least I think we are. I had a good time today. Didn't you?" Emily asked timidly.

"A little bit. Yeah." Paige admitted.

Emily grinned. "See? And even if Jai isn't here, I got a surprise from her this morning and it put me in a really good mood. Once I got past the whole missing-her-terribly feeling. Because even if she's super busy, she never forgets." She said softly.

"She sent another gift from London?" Paige asked, smiling faintly.

Emily nodded. "But I missed her call this morning and she told my mom she's going to call again so I'm hoping she doesn't forget that." She said anxiously.

Paige was about to reassure Emily that Jai will never forget to call her when the girl took out her phone and Emily's face lit up like it was Christmas morning. "Jai?" She asked despite knowing the answer to her question.

Emily nodded before answering her phone. "Hey." She said, breaking into a huge smile.

Paige turned her body a little to the side, turning her back to Emily to try to give the girl some privacy despite being handcuffed to each other.

"Hey." Jai's exhausted voice came on the other end of the line. "Did I catch you at a bad time?" She asked her girlfriend.

"Not at all. I've been waiting for you to call me all day actually. Sorry I missed your call this morning." Emily said ruefully.

"Don't be. Pam said you've been coming home late because of the planning for the fair so I told her not to wake you up." Jai explained.

"I'm glad you called again." Emily admitted quietly.

"Of course. I'm not going to let Valentine's Day go by without talking to you." Jai said reassuringly.

Emily smiled. "I got the roses. And the strawberries. And the bear. I especially love the bear. Thanks." She said, feeling herself tear up. She really missed Jai.

"Glad you loved them." Jai said softly.

"Does he have a name?" Emily asked timidly.

"Nope. I thought I'd leave the naming to you. So have you named him yet?" Jai asked.

"I'll tell you when you get back." Emily promised.

"Then I guess I'm going to find out in two weeks." Jai revealed slowly.

Emily suddenly sat up straight, unable to believe the words she just heard. "Two weeks?" She repeated. "Jai. Please tell me you're not playing a prank." She said breathlessly.

"I'm not." Jai reassured her girlfriend. "Turns out I can finish my internship at the end of this month. I'm coming home Em."

"You're serious!" Emily exclaimed, still trying to wrap her mind around the good news.

"I am. I can't wait to see you." Jai said eagerly.

Emily laughed excitedly. "I can't wait to see you too. I take it back; this is the best Valentine's gift you gave me. Sorry I didn't get you anything." She added.

"Hearing your voice? How excited and happy you are right now? That's all I could ever ask for. You don't need to get me anything." Jai said reassuringly.

"Are you on break now?" Emily asked, not wanting to end their conversation just yet despite knowing how busy Jai is.

"I am. I was planning to go outside to get some dinner but I thought I'd try to call you first again." Jai admitted.

"I'm glad you did." Emily said, smiling softly.

"Me too. So how's fair going?" Jai asked.

"Good. It's going really good. We have a huge turnout of visitors this year. I think most of them came from outside of Rosewood." Emily revealed.

"That's great. You're an awesome social chair." Jai said proudly. "So what are you up to now?"

"Waiting for Chloe to find the key to the handcuff." Emily answered, rotating her wrist to get some circulation going.

"Who are you handcuffed to?" Jai asked curiously.

"Paige." Emily said, glancing at the girl whose back was turned to her.

"You two went to the marriage booth?" Jai asked, amused.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Not together, no. I was making the rounds, making sure everything was going well. Paige was flirting with the girl manning the marriage booth. I came over, next thing we knew Chloe handcuffed us." She explained.

Jai laughed. "And she lost the key. Typical Chloe." She added.

"I know." Emily smiled wryly.

"My best friend isn't giving you a hard time, is she?" Jai asked anxiously. "I know how much she hates being handcuffed to anyone during fair."

"No. She's being typical Paige. Stubborn. Cranky. Whiny." Emily enumerated, hoping to get a rise out of Paige but the girl refused to say anything. "So can we talk some more or do you have to go?"

Jai sighed. "I have to go." She said reluctantly. "But in two weeks you can tell me everything. Tell me what I missed. I am all yours." She promised.

Emily smiled. "I like the sound of that." She said in a low voice.

"I'll call you again before I leave here. Tell Paige the good news. I love you." Jai said earnestly.

"I love you too." Emily said. She waited until the line went dead before moving the phone away from her ear and returning it inside her jacket's pocket. "She's coming home." She told Paige eagerly. She waited for Paige to turn around and face her but the girl's attention was focused on someone else.

"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you two! I found it! I found the key!" Chloe exclaimed as she jogged towards them, waving the key excitedly.

"It's about time. Give it to me." Paige said, taking the key from the girl once Chloe was standing in front of them. She hurriedly unlocked the handcuff, rubbed her right wrist and gave the key back to the breathless girl. She stared at the pizza Emily bought her and picked it up. "Here." She said, handing the food to Chloe. "Sorry for earlier." She said after Chloe took her peace offering.

"Paige. Did you hear me?" Emily asked as she removed the handcuff and gave it to Chloe who was bouncing on her heels, eager to get back to the marriage booth. "Jai's coming home in _two weeks_. Do you know what that means?"

"Yeah. It means playtime's over." Paige answered quietly, standing up. "I'm happy for the two of you." She added sincerely, placing her hands inside her jacket's pockets and following Chloe as the girl left, walking away without a single glance at Emily.

Emily watched Paige's retreating back, confused at the girl's sudden foul mood. She shrugged and decided to set aside Paige's behavior just now. Because right now all she could think about is Jai. Her girlfriend is finally coming home. And she couldn't wait to hold Jai in her arms again.


	7. mutantur : chapter vii

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

_**To all the readers of this fic... I just want to say that I am getting such good reviews from all of you... thanks for your support and enthusiasm about this story... the length/content of your reviews reflect it. So awesome.**_

_**I hope you guys won't get confused regarding the flow of this chapter. Most, if not all of you might understand it right from the get go but I hope everything will make sense to everyone once you get to the end.**_

_**iowahawx & Nae10… Thanks for the PM!**_

* * *

**PART ONE: "Mutantur Omnia Nos Et Mutamur In Illis"**

_~ All things change, and we change with them. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Paige tossed and turned in her bed, determined to find the sleep that has eluded her for weeks. She glanced at the glowing numbers displayed on the digital clock on her bedside table and sighed. _2:13 AM_. Staring at the ceiling, she slowly closed her eyes again, trying to empty her mind of any and all thoughts of what's to come later today. Of what today was supposed to be.

To the casual observer, she was just lying motionless in her bed, seemingly in a deep slumber. But in reality, Paige's mind was starting to grow restless again. Opening her eyes, she sighed in frustration when she checked the time and saw that not even a minute has passed. She finally sat up and let her eyes adjust to the darkness of her room before she stood up and headed for her bathroom, careful not to make a sound.

Paige knew her father has been worried sick about her lately and that he's probably in his room right now, half asleep while straining his ears to listen for any sound coming from her room. She had to be cautious. When she finally reached her bathroom, she flipped the light switch slowly, bathing the room in a pale yellow glow. Paige stared at her reflection in the mirror, studying the dark circles under her eyes before slowly turning on the faucet a little to splash some water on her face.

When she was done, she turned off the light and headed back to her bed, sitting on it with her knees drawn to her chest as she patiently waited for the first rays of the sun to enter her room once again. Paige knew it wasn't for at least a few more hours. But she also knew that she wasn't going to get any sleep at this time of day. Just like she hasn't been getting any sleep for the past two weeks. A feeling of dread overwhelmed her. It was starting again.

* * *

The instant Emily spotted Jai's familiar slender build and sleek, shoulder-length, layered black hair, she felt her lips break into an eager smile. At the moment, her girlfriend of more than three years was scanning the crowd but Jai hasn't seen her yet. Emily took the opportunity to study Jai. In the six months that her girlfriend was in London, although they spent the early part of their separation doing video chats, she still missed seeing her girlfriend in the flesh and now that Jai is making her way towards her, Emily couldn't help but shed tears of happiness. Her girlfriend looked skinnier than she remembered and the girl was obviously worn out but that couldn't hide the sheer happiness in Jai's gorgeous face as she got closer to Emily.

"Excuse me for the trouble miss but I seem to have found myself lost. Can you help me?" Jai asked, giving Emily a charming smile.

Emily brushed the tears from her eyes and went along with Jai's charade. "Sure. Where do you need to go?" She asked, smiling back.

"Rosewood, Pennsylvania." Jai answered. "Actually, my girlfriend was supposed to pick me up but I can't seem to find her." She added, looking around them helplessly.

"What does she look like? Maybe I can help you look for her." Emily offered.

"Well she's really beautiful." Jai began. "And not just on the outside. She's the kindest person I've ever met."

Emily laughed. "That's a really nice thing to know about your girlfriend. That she's kind." She said teasingly. "But you need to give me something more to go on. I can't exactly help you find someone who's beautiful and kind in this airport."

"Well I wasn't done describing her to you." Jai told the girl lightly. "She has long, raven-black hair, mesmerizing brown eyes, smooth, slender neck, tanned skin. I'm a few inches taller than her, which I love by the way because the top of her head ends up just below my nose when she leans on me and I get to smell her hair everytime. Oh and she has this great smile too. Kinda like the one you're sporting right now." She added casually.

Emily's smile grew even bigger. "I have to admit I haven't seen anyone around here fitting that description and I've been here for a few hours. I'm waiting for my girlfriend to arrive." She explained.

"Oh. Was she in this flight?" Jai asked, looking behind her to see the last of the passengers exit the terminal. "Maybe I could help you find her instead. What does she look like?" She asked, turning to face Emily again.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her for months so my memory of her might be a little hazy." Emily answered teasingly. "But she's totally gorgeous. Shoulder-length layered black hair, deep blue-grey eyes, smooth skin, perfect cheekbones. She easily stands out in a sea of people but not because she's tall. There's just something about her that would make you notice. And once you do, you'd think she's a ramp model. And don't get me wrong. I think she can be one. But she's way too smart for that. She actually went to London for an internship program." Emily revealed. "And she's the kindest person I've ever met. Probably kinder than your girlfriend."

"I find that hard to believe." Jai said softly. "It must've been hard for you. Being in a long-distance relationship with her."

"It was." Emily admitted. "But I want her to reach her dreams. Support her like she's always supported me."

Jai smiled. "You must love her a lot." She said, taking a step forward.

Emily nodded. "I do." She affirmed. "But I can't seem to find her. I was hoping I could show her just how much I missed her." She added, feigning disappointment.

"Well I'm sure she's dying to show you how much she missed you too." Jai said, her eyes traveling slowly to Emily's lips. "I was really looking forward to holding my girlfriend in my arms again actually. I just came from an internship in London myself."

"_Really_." Emily uttered, her eyes widening comically that she saw Jai fight back a grin. "What's your girlfriend's name?" She asked, moving closer to the girl.

"Emily Fields." Jai answered.

"Mine's Jasmine Hayes but I call her Jai." Emily revealed.

"Hey that's my name!" Jai exclaimed. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously and opened her mouth to speak before shaking her head. "Nah."

"What?" Emily asked, feeling anxious.

"I didn't realize it until now but you look a lot like my girlfriend. But that's not possible." Jai explained.

"Why not?" Emily inquired.

"Because you're definitely far more prettier than her." Jai answered candidly.

"Well if I show you some identification will you believe that I'm Emily Fields?" Emily suggested, moving to take her wallet from her shoulder bag when she felt Jai's hand on her arm.

"That won't work." Jai said as she closed the distance between them. "I have a better idea." She whispered, pulling Emily close to her and giving the girl a deep kiss. "Yep. You're most definitely my girlfriend." She said breathlessly once they finally came up for air.

Emily was trying hard to fight back her tears but was quickly losing the battle. "You're late." She muttered, unable to see her girlfriend clearly through her blurred vision.

Jai gently wiped the tears rolling down Emily's cheeks. "I know. I'm so sorry, love. My flight got delayed." She explained before hugging Emily close to her. "But I'm here now. I'm home." She whispered reassuringly. "God I missed you."

Emily pulled Jai closer to her. "I missed you too." She said, her voice hoarse. "Promise me you won't leave again." She pleaded.

Jai nodded. "I'm not going anywhere." She promised. She moved to cup Emily's cheek in her hand and kissed her girlfriend on the lips again. "Come on. We better get going. The people at the surprise party might start thinking we eloped." She teased once they separated.

"Is that really such a bad thing?" Emily asked as she took Jai's hand in hers and they began walking towards the parking lot. "And how did you know there's a surprise party?"

Jai smiled. "My dad and Kayla didn't come with you and Paige when I left for London. I doubt they'd want to pass the chance to pick me up when I came back. Not unless there's a good reason." She added. "Speaking of. Where's my best friend?"

"Paige couldn't make it." Emily said apologetically. "She's been training every chance she gets. For what I have no idea. When I asked if she wanted to come with me tonight she declined. Said she was going to pass out from the exhaustion so she wanted to rest instead. But... she did promise me she's going to be at the party later." She added when she saw the disappointment in Jai's eyes. "Honestly I don't mind getting you all to myself for a few minutes before everyone steals your attention at the party."

"I think I can manage to slip away unnoticed later. Spend some more alone time with you." Jai said, glancing at Emily.

"I'd like that." Emily admitted, leading the way to Logan's car and opening the trunk. "So how was the flight?" She asked as she watched Jai place her luggage inside the compartment.

"Boring." Jai answered. "But that's probably because I spent most of it catching on sleep. How are things here?" She asked as she closed the trunk and she and Emily moved to get inside the car.

"Okay. I've been really busy with work and school stuff but I don't mind. It takes my mind off a little on the fact that we're thousands of miles apart." Emily explained.

"And you and Paige… are you two still getting along?" Jai asked cautiously as she settled on the passenger seat of the car and buckled her seatbelt.

Emily nodded. "We are. And I wasn't going to say anything until we get to the party so you can hear it for yourself but... Paige stopped calling me Sniffles." She revealed, smiling at Jai.

Jai stared at Emily in surprise. "When did this happen?" She asked, smiling herself.

"Few months ago. I was surprised when she said my name the first time and I thought it was a fluke at first but then after trick or treating she said it again. And she never called me Sniffles since then." Emily added, grinning.

Jai shook her head in disbelief. "It's about time. I thought my best friend wasn't going to come around. I'm glad she did." She admitted.

"Me too. Maybe now we can all start hanging out without her making fun of me." Emily hoped.

"Trust me. There will be time for that. For now I just want to spend the better part of the evening catching up on us." Jai said, taking Emily's hand in hers as the girl began the drive back to Rosewood. "By the way, to answer your question earlier, no. I don't think eloping is a bad thing. I just think you deserve more. I want everyone to be there when we get married." She said quietly, squeezing Emily's hand when her girlfriend gave her a delighted smile.

* * *

"Em, just leave my luggage inside the trunk. I'll come back for it later." Jai insisted as she followed Emily to the back of the car.

"I don't mind carrying it inside." Emily said as she popped open the trunk and moved to take out her girlfriend's luggage.

"But I do." Jai stated, stopping Emily. "Come on. My luggage isn't going anywhere. Let's go inside." She coaxed, closing the trunk and taking Emily's hand in hers.

"Fine." Emily finally said, giving Jai a sly smile. "But can you do me a favor?" She asked as she and Jai leisurely walked hand in hand towards the latter's house.

"Yeah. What is it?" Jai asked, glancing at her girlfriend.

"Pretend you don't know about the party." Emily answered, biting back a smile. "Remember that it's supposed to be a _surprise_." She added.

Jai laughed. "Yeah I think I can do that." She said reassuringly. "Exactly how many people are inside anyway?"

Emily shrugged casually. "How many can fit inside your house?" She teased. When she saw Jai's look of shock she laughed. "Relax. It's just a few people your dad and Kayla invited. Plus our friends of course."

"Of course." Jai repeated, smiling. "I'm just glad I'm not the host of the party this time. I want to sneak off to my room at some point, have you all to myself." She whispered in Emily's ear before kissing her girlfriend on the cheek.

"You read my mind." Emily whispered back. "Come find me after you're done with the meet and greet." She added before opening the front door and leading the way inside the darkened house.

The moment Jai's feet landed inside her house, the place was bathed in bright lights and filled with excited choruses of _'Surprise!_' Everyone broke into eager smiles and applause, glad to have Jasmine Hayes back in their lives. Emily watched her girlfriend out of the corner of her eye as Jai took in everything. Although the girl knew of the surprise party, Jai couldn't fake the happiness in her face. Her girlfriend was really glad to be home. Emily smiled and glanced down, pleased that in all the excitement and in spite of people coming up to Jai to welcome her home, the girl never let go of Emily's hand.

"Can I get a hug from my big sister?" Kayla asked as she walked up to Emily and Jai with a huge grin.

Jai briefly let go of Emily's hand and enveloped her sister in a warm hug. "Of course. I missed you little sis." She said quietly.

"I missed you too." Kayla said, pulling back to look at her sister. "You look exhausted." She observed. "Internship kicked your arse in London, mate?" She asked in a phony English accent that made Emily and Jai laugh.

Jai shook her head. "No. I'm just tired from the flight. Nothing a little bit of rest won't cure." She said reassuringly. "Where's dad?"

"Right here." Logan's warm tone behind Kayla made Jai look past her sister. "Give your old man a hug." He said, moving forward with arms open and a proud smile on his face.

"You're not old, dad. At least you don't look the part." Jai added teasingly as she stepped into her father's arms and embraced him. "Thanks for throwing this welcome home party." She said when she pulled back.

"A lot of people missed you while you were in London. It's only right that they're here to celebrate your return." Logan explained. "Your sister and I will get out of your way now. You better start mingling with the guests. We have time to catch up tomorrow."

"Breakfast ala Hayes?" Jai said, smiling at her father knowingly.

Logan nodded. "Just like old times." He said before putting his arm around Kayla's shoulder and leading his other daughter away.

"It's definitely good to be home." Jai told Emily when they were finally alone, taking her girlfriend's hand in hers again and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Emily nodded and smiled softly. "Everything is as it should be." She said, looking into Jai's eyes.

"Hey where's Paige?" Jai suddenly asked, looking around them. "I thought she was going to be here?" She added, disappointed.

"Jai I'm sure she's just running late but she'll be here. She wouldn't miss this." Emily reassured her girlfriend. "In the meantime, do what your dad told you to. _Mingle_. I'm going to talk to my friends for a bit then come find me in your room later. I have a surprise for you." She whispered in Jai's ear, kissing her girlfriend on the cheek softly before leaving to find her friends.

* * *

Paige emerged from her bathroom, fresh from taking a shower. For a moment she just stood in the middle of her bedroom, her body wrapped in a white towel, contemplating what to do. She knew she needed to get ready if she wanted to make it in time but for some reason she couldn't find the energy to do anything. Finally, she forced her body to move, dragging her feet towards the direction of her closet. She studied her clothes inside, trying to decide what to wear for the occasion until she finally settled on a pair of jeans and a plain black shirt, deciding to wear on top of it a gray sweatshirt due to the cold weather.

When she was finally done getting ready, Paige stood transfixed in front of her full-length mirror. She stared at her reflection, blinking her eyes slowly. She tried to feel something. Anything. But she just felt numb. She started when she heard a short knock on her door and turned to face it.

"Are you decent, honey?" Nick McCullers asked from behind the door.

Paige glanced at her reflection in the mirror before answering. "Yeah. Come in." She called out, trying to sound normal.

Nick pushed the door open, entering the room and letting the door swing close behind him. For a while he just stood there, studying his daughter closely. Paige tried her best not to seem tired and lacking sleep, hoping that the concealer she just applied would do the trick to hide the dark circles under her eyes.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Nick asked cautiously, his eyebrows creased with worry.

Paige nodded. "She's my best friend, dad. I have to be there." She answered, her voice hoarse.

"What time are you going to the Hayes'?" Nick inquired, taking a look at the time on his watch. "I don't have any plans today so you can use the car if you're not too tired to drive." He offered.

"I'm not." Paige said hurriedly. "I'm running late actually so it would be better if I drove there instead of riding my bike." She added.

Nick took out the car keys from his jean's front pocket and handed it to his daughter. "Are you going to be okay? Can you handle being there?" He asked anxiously.

Paige forced herself to give her father a small smile. "Yeah. I'll be fine dad." She said reassuringly as she took the keys and pocketed them. She waited for her father to leave but the man wasn't done checking in on her.

"Paige… I don't know exactly… how hard today is for you. I just know that it's not easy. Considering what happened in the past." Nick began, trying to put into words what he wanted to say to his daughter. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm here. If you need anything just call me." He said, his voice almost pleading. "I'm just a phone call away. Okay?"

"Okay." Paige replied. "Thanks dad." She added quietly.

Nick gave his daughter a smile. "Okay. I guess I better get out of your way then. Let you finish in here." He said, looking around his daughter's room anxiously to make sure nothing was out of place before leaving.

"Dad." Paige called out as her father pushed her bedroom door open. "Maybe tonight we could have dinner with Gwen. Celebrate a little." She added, subtly telling her father that she's not going anywhere.

"I would really love that." Nick admitted, the relief evident in his voice as he smiled at his daughter again. "I love you honey." He said emotionally.

"I love you too, dad." Paige said, giving her father a genuine smile before Nick left her room.

When he was finally gone, Paige absentmindedly stared at the swinging door for a moment, her mind going blank. She shook her head firmly, trying to fight the helplessness she felt. Now wasn't the time. She checked her reflection in the mirror one last time before finally forcing herself to move, making sure she had everything she needed before leaving her bedroom.

* * *

Emily nervously looked up when she heard the door to Jai's bedroom open. She had been fidgeting while she sat on the side of Jai's bed, waiting for her girlfriend to enter her own room. After tonight, things between her and Jai are going to change and although she was nervous about taking the next step with her girlfriend, she felt it was time.

"Em?" Jai called out softly from the doorway. "Are you in here?"

"Yeah." Emily answered, her voice hoarse. "Lock the door." She said when Jai stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

"Why are you sitting in the dark?" Jai asked, confused. She moved to turn on the lights when Emily spoke up.

"Don't." Emily said urgently. "Leave it as it is. Just come here." She added, extending a hand towards her girlfriend.

Jai slowly made her way towards the bed, the moonlight streaming in from the balcony her only source of light. She smiled when she finally saw Emily seated on her bed, the black lace and satin slip her girlfriend was wearing shimmering against the moonlight behind her.

"Wow." Jai uttered breathlessly, her eyes traveling from Emily's bare feet to her shapely calves, pausing to take in how the hem of the piece of cloth her girlfriend wore rode up her mid-thigh before making its way to Emily's flat stomach. Jai continued to take in Emily's flawless form, letting her eyes wander to the girl's chest which rose and fell as the girl tried to calm her nerves, to her girlfriend's slender neck, finally resting on the girl's gorgeous face.

Emily felt her cheeks flush under Jai's gaze and she consciously tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Standing up, she waited until Jai was standing in front of her before taking her girlfriend's hand in hers. "Do you like it?" She asked timidly.

Jai nodded wordlessly and brought her hand to Emily's cheek, caressing it. "Very much." She finally managed to say, her voice hoarse.

"Show me." Emily asked, gazing into Jai's eyes. "Show me how much you like it." She said breathlessly.

Jai took a deep breath and closed the distance between them, giving Emily a deep kiss as she held her girlfriend firmly by the waist. When she finally pulled away, Jai slowly moved her hands to start unbuttoning her top, her eyes never leaving Emily's.

"Let me." Emily whispered, kissing Jai again as she slowly placed her hands over the girl's, nervously unbuttoning Jai's top and slowly sliding it off her shoulders, letting the light material fall on the floor. She paused to look at Jai in just her jeans and bra, trying to get used to seeing her girlfriend almost naked for the first time.

"Are you sure?" Jai asked softly. "We can stop if you're not ready." She said understandingly.

Emily shook her head, unable to look into Jai's eyes. "I'm ready." She assured her girlfriend, letting her hands settle on the waistband of Jai's jeans while she gathered the courage to unbutton it. She finally moved when she felt Jai kiss her on the forehead tenderly, the gesture comforting her.

Jai helped Emily take off the cumbersome piece of clothing, both of them laughing nervously when the girl's jeans got caught in her feet while trying to step out of it.

"I got it. I got it." Jai said in between laughs as she finally got rid of her jeans. She stopped laughing when she noticed that Emily fell silent and that the girl was just standing in front of her, Emily's eyes taking in Jai's semi-naked form. "You okay?" She asked nervously.

Emily nodded, her feet involuntarily taking a small step backwards. She let out a nervous laugh when she realized that Jai's bed was right behind her. "I'm just really nervous." She admitted hoarsely.

"Don't be." Jai whispered reassuringly. She moved to take Emily's hand in hers, never letting go of the girl's hand while she lifted the bed covers.

Emily watched as Jai got in first, the love and longing in her girlfriend's eyes making her follow suit. For a moment they just held each other's gaze as they knelt on Jai's bed until the girl finally moved to capture Emily's lips on hers, her hands slowly making its way to Emily's bare thigh.

"Do you want me to take it off?" Jai asked when they came up for air.

Emily bit her lower lip before nodding; her pulse racing as Jai slowly lifted the smooth material off her. She swallowed hard when she saw the desire in Jai's eyes the moment her girlfriend saw her in just her underwear.

"You're beautiful." Jai said when she finally met Emily's eyes. "Even more than I imagined." She whispered, moving to kiss her girlfriend hungrily, their lips parting as Emily granted access to Jai's tongue.

Emily's breath hitched when she felt Jai's hands slowly moving towards her bare breasts and she moved her hands to unhook the girl's bra first, reminded that of the two of them, Jai was slightly more 'dressed'. Her pulse was racing, nervous about what's coming but she didn't want to stop. She moaned when she felt Jai's hands cup her breasts and leaned closer to her girlfriend when Jai began to fondle them. Emily suddenly shivered and Jai slowed down when she felt it.

"Let's get you under the covers." Jai whispered, gently brushing a strand of hair away from Emily's eyes.

Emily nodded and moved to slip under the comforter, Jai following her as the girl positioned herself on top of Emily. She gazed into Jai's eyes and smiled. "I missed you so much." She said hoarsely.

"Show me." Jai asked quietly. "How much you missed me." She said, gazing at Emily with undiluted desire and love.

Emily slowly moved her hands towards the waistband of Jai's underwear, her fingers grazing the girl's bare thighs as she pulled down the piece of clothing and Jai helped her remove it. She swallowed hard when she felt her girlfriend's naked body press against hers and leaned forward to eagerly meet Jai's lips. She instinctively lifted her hips when she felt the girl's hands slowly move to pull down her underwear, letting out a moan when she felt every inch of their skin touch.

"I love you, Emily Fields." Jai whispered, staring into Emily's eyes. "Now until forever." She said earnestly.

"I love you too, Jasmine Hayes." Emily whispered hoarsely. Three years ago she gave her heart to the girl lying on top of her. Tonight, it was time she gave herself to Jai. "Now until forever." She promised as she moved her hand to the back of her girlfriend's neck, pulling the girl closer to her as she captured Jai's lips on hers once again.

* * *

Paige slowly made her way around the Hayes' spacious house, trying to remain inconspicuous as she searched the crowd for a particular individual. She left her house later than she expected and by the time she got to the Hayes', the place was already packed with people who came to show their love and support. For a while she remained frozen in place, trying to think where Kayla could be before deciding to head to the backyard, playing on a hunch that the girl was hiding out there.

Once she was outside, Paige took a moment to breathe in the cool afternoon air. Compared to the atmosphere inside, out here things seemed a bit lighter and as her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the afternoon sun, she finally spotted Kayla sitting on one of the swings, her back turned to the house.

Paige slowly approached the motionless girl, walking in front of Kayla once she was near her. She forced a smile on her lips when the girl looked up and their eyes locked.

"Hey." Paige managed to say. "I'm here." She continued. She waited for Kayla to stand up before she moved to give the girl a comforting hug. "I know I'm late getting here. I'm sorry. I was..."

Kayla shook her head. "It doesn't matter. You're here now." She interjected, resting her head on Paige's chest. "That's the only thing that matters."

Paige held Kayla a moment longer before finally pulling away. "Your house is ridiculously overflowing with people." She observed, trying to lighten the mood as she moved to sit on the swing next to Kayla. "It's suffocating." She admitted.

"Tell me about it." Kayla said in agreement, looking behind her to watch as random people walked in and out of her house. "I couldn't handle it so I decided to take a breather out here."

Paige nodded understandingly. "Can't say I blame you. I don't even know half the people inside." She said wryly.

Kayla studied Paige out of the corner of her eye before speaking again. "Em's here. At least she was. I saw her briefly earlier but then she disappeared. I guess she's still somewhere inside. I really don't know." She admitted.

"How is she?" Paige asked, not meeting Kayla's eyes.

"I couldn't tell." Kayla answered. "You should head back inside. Maybe you can answer that question yourself once you find her."

Paige nodded absentmindedly, taking a deep breath before getting up. "Are you going to be okay?" She asked, looking down at Kayla worriedly.

"Yeah." Kayla said, smiling faintly. "Are you?" She inquired, throwing the question back at Paige.

"Yeah." Paige answered after a beat. "Yeah I'll be okay."

"Then I'll be right behind you. I just need a few more minutes to myself." Kayla explained.

"Okay." Paige uttered, studying Kayla for a second before turning her back to the girl to head inside.

Paige slowly made her way towards the house, dreading stepping inside and being surrounded by people she barely knew. The last thing she wanted right now was to be around strangers. As she got nearer, she started to feel restless and agitated. She was in an open space but she was suffocating. _I can't be here_. She thought, starting to pull at the neck of the sweatshirt she was wearing. She wasn't fine. Not at all. She was lying to herself and to her dad when she said earlier that she could handle being here. Before she changed her mind, she headed for the driveway instead of the back door. _I'm sorry Kayla_. _But I need to get out of here_.

* * *

Emily slowly opened her eyes and blinked several times as she tried to adjust to the brightness of the room. For a moment she tried to get her bearings, feeling her lips break into a small smile when she realized where she was. Turning her back to the French doors that open to the balcony, she moved to face the other side of Jai's bedroom and found herself staring into her girlfriend's eyes.

"Hey there sleepyhead." Jai said in greeting, smiling softly.

"Hey." Emily repeated, her voice hoarse. "Did you sleep well?" She asked, smiling back.

"Best sleep I've had in years." Jai answered. "How about you?"

"Same." Emily admitted. She took in her girlfriend's features before speaking again. "I wish we could spend the entire day in this bed."

"We could." Jai began, raising her eyebrows suggestively. "We have everything we need in here. My mini fridge's stocked with food and drinks; we have cable, Internet, a bathroom. You can wear my clothes but after last night I'd rather you stay naked." She teased, making Emily blush profusely. "So. What do you say? Want to spend the entire day locked in a room with me? Although I have to warn you, you might start getting tired of me."

"That would never happen." Emily said adamantly. "I'm tempted to stay here all day but it's Saturday." She reminded Jai. "Downstairs your sister, Logan and Paige are waiting for us to have breakfast with them."

"I think they'll survive without us. It's not like the kitchen is inside my room." Jai said lightly. "Although if they refuse to eat until we join them they _might_ die of starvation." She said as an afterthought, making Emily laugh. "You're right. We should eat breakfast with them. Then spend the rest of the day here in my room. While we're downstairs we should also get some more food."

"Like milk and cereals." Emily suggested.

Jai grinned. "Are you planning to spend the night here again? Those are breakfast foods." She pointed out.

"That's very assuming of you. Maybe I just like eating cereal for lunch or dinner." Emily challenged.

"Fine. Eat it during lunch. I'd like to take you somewhere for dinner tonight." Jai said seriously.

"Like a date?" Emily asked timidly.

"Like a date." Jai confirmed. "I have to tell you something. The conversation we had before I boarded my flight from London. I want to continue it." She said quietly. "It's not a bad thing." She added when she saw the worry in Emily's eyes. "I told you before that it's not a bad thing."

"But it's about our future." Emily said, remembering their conversation.

"Yeah. _Our_ future." Jai repeated. "It's still us, Em. Not mine or yours. It's _ours_. We're not breaking up." She insisted.

Emily nodded. "Okay." She said quietly.

"Em I'm not going anywhere." Jai promised. "You're still the girl I want to marry someday. There're just some things we need to talk about. Like our plans."

Emily was about to speak when she and Jai heard a knock on the bedroom door, making her seize the comforter and pull it close to her naked body.

"Rise and shine Jai. Breakfast is in thirty. Get your ass out of bed and downstairs." Kayla called from behind the door.

"I'm up Kayla!" Jai called out as she twisted her body to face the door. "I'll just take a quick shower and be down in a few minutes." She added. She turned to face Emily and smiled. "I guess that's our cue. Do you want to take a shower first or should I?" She whispered so Kayla wouldn't hear her.

"You first." Emily whispered back, still a little uncomfortable with letting Jai see her naked in the light of day.

Jai nodded understandingly. "Put on some clothes while I'm in the bathroom." She instructed before sitting up and grabbing part of the comforter, using the material to cover her body while she put on her clothes.

"Wait." Emily said, sitting up and grabbing Jai's hand. "Once I walk out of here with you they're going to know. And I kinda want this thing between us to stay... between us." She admitted timidly.

Jai smiled. "Em they're used to you spending the night here. They're not going to find out." She said reassuringly before giving Emily a quick kiss.

"Hey Em if Jai's clothes doesn't fit you I can always lend you mine." Kayla suddenly called out, letting the two girls know that she was still standing outside. "You two aren't fooling anyone, Jai. Your door is locked." She added, jiggling the doorknob for effect.

Emily felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. "Perfect. Kayla knows." She muttered under her breath, closing her eyes briefly.

"She won't say a word." Jai assured her girlfriend.

"Em, dad wants to know if you want omelet or crêpe for breakfast." Kayla asked from behind the door again. "He said he's cooking both unless we all just want omelet."

"Okay you have to talk to her or she's not going away." Emily told Jai, starting to laugh.

Jai leaned forward and kissed Emily quickly. "Omelet?" She guessed, heading for her bedroom door when her girlfriend nodded. She briefly turned around to make sure that Emily was decent enough before opening the door a crack. "Okay one; keep your mouth shut during breakfast about this." Jai said once she saw Kayla's knowing smile. "Two, thanks for the offer but Em can wear my clothes. Three, tell dad my girlfriend wants omelet for breakfast."

Kayla managed to sneak a peek behind her sister and grinned at the girl seated on Jai's bed. "I guess it _is_ a good morning for you two." She declared, looking at Emily and Jai. "Don't worry. I'm keeping my mouth shut." She promised Emily before bounding down the stairs to go back to the kitchen.

Jai locked the door behind her once again and looked at Emily, laughing with her girlfriend. "Okay I'm going to take a shower now before my dad knocks this time." She said before heading towards the bathroom.

"Jai?" Emily called out after her girlfriend.

"Yeah?" Jai said, turning around.

"Last night was amazing. I just wanted you to know that." Emily admitted quietly.

Jai smiled. "Glad to know I wasn't the only one who felt that way about last night." She confessed before turning her back to head to the bathroom.

Emily waited until her girlfriend closed the bathroom door behind her before she grabbed the pillow on Jai's side of the bed and hugged it. She took a deep breath, unable to fight the huge smile that tugged on her lips when she inhaled Jai's scent and remembered everything that happened between them last night.

* * *

Paige crossed her arms in front of her chest, her eyes taking in the wide expanse of land below her as she leaned against the hood of her father's car. For days she had been trying to pretend that nothing was wrong. That nothing was out of the ordinary despite being unable to sleep at all. All day she had been trying to pretend that today was just like any normal day but the truth is it's not. In a few hours she would have to say goodbye and the thought of doing so was already taking its toll on her.

The town of Rosewood seemed so far from where she stood. Like it existed in a different time and place and right now she would give anything for that to actually happen. To wake up and realize that the past two weeks was just a horrifying nightmare.

Paige started, distracted from her thoughts when she felt her phone vibrate from the back pocket of her jeans. She took a deep breath and got her phone out, rubbing the side of her head when she saw Kayla's name flashing on the screen. Jai's sister was probably wondering where she went. Paige knew she should answer the call so Kayla wouldn't get worried about her but she didn't want to go back down there and deal with everything. Not yet. She touched the reject button on her phone's screen and walked over to the driver's side of the car, dropping her phone unceremoniously on the seat before going back to the front end of the car. She miserably gazed at the town of Rosewood below, placing her hands inside the pockets of her sweatshirt and sighed. _What happens now?_

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Emily slowly followed Jai downstairs dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a button-down shirt her girlfriend lent her. The day was off to a good start but for some reason she dreaded heading down to breakfast today. When she saw that Jai's best friend wasn't seated at her usual place at the dining table, she realized the reason why when she breathed a huge sigh of relief.

When Logan saw them enter the dining room, he gave the two girls a warm smile. "Good morning ladies." He said in greeting as he stood in front of the stove cooking breakfast.

"Good morning." Emily greeted politely, smiling back at Logan as she and Jai sat down on their usual seats at the table.

"Where's Paige?" Jai asked Logan and Kayla, glancing at the empty seat beside her sister before taking a quick look at the time on her watch. "Shouldn't she be here by now? I barely had time to catch up with her last night so I was hoping we'd be able to hang out today."

"Yeah. Paige told me it was like you vanished into thin air last night." Kayla revealed to her sister teasingly. "I said you were just jet-lagged from the trip so you probably decided to turn in early. Little did I know..." She trailed off, winking subtly at Emily and Jai. When the two girls glared at her, she continued. "Anyway. I tried calling her after I went to your room but she wasn't answering. Then I remembered. Her dad's here for the weekend. Even if she answered my call she'll probably tell me she won't be able to make it coz she wanted to spend some time with him." She explained.

"Oh." Jai uttered, disappointed. "I guess I'll just call and ask if she can meet us at your house later for a few hours. If that's okay." She added, turning to face Emily. "Which I'm getting a sense right now that it isn't. What's wrong, Em? You look relieved." She noted, studying her girlfriend closely. "Is it because Paige isn't here?"

"I'm sorry." Emily said, looking at Jai apologetically. "I know you really want to spend time with her. I guess I just can't shake this feeling that she's going to take one look at us and figure it all out. And I don't want her to know. She's going to start making fun of me again." She admitted anxiously.

"Wait. I thought you and Paige were getting along?" Jai asked, confused.

"We are. But that doesn't mean I'm comfortable with her knowing intimate stuff about us. Remember what she did at your going away party?" Emily reminded her girlfriend.

"She apologized for that, right?" Jai asked cautiously.

Emily nodded. "She did. But it doesn't erase the fact that she can be such a jerk when she wants to mess around. I'm not comfortable with her knowing about this." She said quietly.

Jai took Emily's hand in hers and gave it a firm squeeze. "I guess I can just spend time with her tomorrow." She said understandingly. "Today's going to be all about us."

Emily smiled. "Yeah. You've been back barely a day. I'm not done having you all to myself." She said coyly.

"Oh my god you two tone it down." Kayla muttered under her breath. "Dad's in the same room with us." She reminded Jai. "I thought you two didn't want him to know?"

"Know what?" Logan asked as he placed a plate of omelet at the center of the table before sitting at his usual spot. He focused his attention on Jai and Emily, expecting one of them to speak up.

"I wasn't going to say anything until after I talked to Emily about it." Jai admitted, glancing at Emily out of the corner of her eye and squeezing her girlfriend's hand comfortingly. "But Dr. Witte, the head of King's Psychiatry Department, offered me a spot in the Maudsley training program. He said I could submit a late application if I was interested." She explained.

"That's great news." Logan said, beaming at his daughter proudly. "This calls for a celebration." He declared jovially.

Jai smiled at her father. "Dad we just had a party last night." She reminded him. "I think we're good with the celebration."

"I meant celebratory dinner. Just us. And Emily of course. Let's have one tonight. I'll make the reservations." Logan volunteered.

"Dad can we do that tomorrow night? Emily and I already made plans for dinner tonight." Jai revealed, glancing at her girlfriend who was obviously still trying to process the news. "Besides, this is a decision I need to make with my girlfriend." She stated firmly.

"Jai it's fine. The fact that you've been offered a spot in the training program at the Maudsley hospital is enough reason to celebrate." Emily said, not wanting to be caught in the middle of a discussion about Jai's career as a doctor and their future as a couple. "We can have dinner tomorrow night instead. Tonight we should have dinner with your family." She insisted, trying to keep her expression neutral. The two of them may have evaded Logan finding out something happened between them last night but Jai's revelation about the option to study in London for college completely caught her off guard. This wasn't the way she wanted to find out about it.

Jai shook her head. "I made plans with you first." She said decisively. "Dad it's fine if we have dinner tomorrow night, right?" She asked Logan, looking at her father for his approval.

Logan nodded. "Of course. It's better actually. We can have dinner in Philly instead since Kayla needs to get back to Girard anyway. She'll be nearer." He added. "Well then, we better start eating breakfast." He said as he lifted the plate of omelet and handed it to his eldest daughter. "Dig in while it's hot."

Emily forced herself to give Jai a small smile as her girlfriend transferred a generous portion of the omelet on Emily's plate first before transferring some on hers. "Thanks love." She managed to say before picking up the knife and fork lying beside her plate. She sliced a small portion of her breakfast and forced herself to put it in her mouth despite not having the appetite to eat now that she found out that Jai could be leaving again.

* * *

"That wasn't how I wanted you to find out about it." Jai began, finally breaking the silence between them as she and Emily walked hand in hand and got nearer the latter's house.

Emily was so shocked by the news that she barely said anything the rest of breakfast. Her behavior, of course, didn't go unnoticed by her girlfriend and Jai did her best to fill the silence by telling her dad and Kayla all about London and her experience there, never letting go of Emily's hand the entire time she was talking. Until now, Emily still felt faint as her mind continued to process the news. Of course she was happy for Jai. But it was unexpected and not part of their plan at all. And now she didn't know what was going to happen between them. She barely made it… being separated from Jai for months. If her girlfriend decided to pursue her studies in London instead of UPenn… she didn't know if she could survive being separated from Jai for years.

"Was that the thing you wanted to talk to me about at dinner tonight?" Emily asked, not meeting Jai's eyes.

Jai nodded. "Yeah. It was." She admitted. "I know it's like… the _worst_ news you've ever gotten from me…"

Emily quickly glanced at her girlfriend. "What? No. How could you think that? It's not." She insisted. "I mean, yeah, I'm not jumping for joy about it but that doesn't mean I don't want it for you." She explained hurriedly. "I'm just having mixed feelings about it right now. What would this mean for us? Do you want to accept the offer?"

"It's a great opportunity." Jai said thoughtfully. "But I don't want to stop being an _us_ and I don't think you want to be in a long-distance relationship with me. Being away from each other for months was hard enough. But years? I don't think I can take it." She confessed.

"So you're torn about this." Emily concluded.

"I am." Jai admitted. "Like I said, it's a great opportunity. I won't deny that. But I don't want to sacrifice our relationship for it."

"Well I don't want you to sacrifice your future for us." Emily said quietly before removing her hand from Jai's to open the front door of her house.

"Sweetie. Is that you?" Pam called out from inside the living room.

"Yeah mom. It's me." Emily answered as she stepped inside the cozy room, followed close behind by her girlfriend. "Jai's here." She added.

Pam put down the paper she was reading and immediately stood up to approach Jai. "Welcome home Jasmine." She said in greeting as she moved to hug Emily's girlfriend. "You look thinner." She observed once she stepped back to take a good look at the girl.

"The internship really took its toll on me." Jai admitted, wearily running a hand through her hair. "But I don't mind finishing early. It's good to be home." She added, glancing at her girlfriend.

"Until you have to leave again." Emily reminded Jai, unable to hide the bitterness she was feeling at the moment.

Pam looked at Emily and Jai cautiously. "Is there something wrong?" She asked, concerned.

Jai shook her head. "No. There are just some things we need to talk about right now. My internship at King's opened new doors for me and Emily and I are trying to figure things out." She explained, smiling at Pam reassuringly.

"We'll be upstairs." Emily informed her mother. She waited for Jai to follow her but her girlfriend gestured for her to wait.

"By any chance, are you free tomorrow night?" Jai asked Pam timidly. "My dad wants to have a celebratory dinner in Philly and it would be great if you could join us. I know Wayne is back in Afghanistan but we haven't had those family dinners for a while now. Maybe tomorrow could give all of us a chance to catch up?"

"Of course." Pam answered, giving Jai a warm smile.

Jai nodded her head eagerly. "Great. I'll tell my dad you'll be joining us then." She added, turning around to leave the room when Pam suddenly called out after her.

"Well are you going to tell me what we're celebrating or do I have to wait until tomorrow night to find out?" Pam asked Jai, amused.

Emily interjected before her girlfriend could answer the question. "Jai's going back to London for college mom. Awesome, right?" She exclaimed unenthusiastically before leaving the room and heading upstairs.

"I better follow her." Emily heard Jai say to Pam apologetically from downstairs. She quickly made her way to her room and went inside, closing the door behind her. This day was quickly becoming one of the worst days of her life.

A few seconds later, Emily heard a cautious knock on her door but she didn't say anything. She didn't even take her eyes off the object she was staring at when she heard the door open and close behind her.

"I never told you this but... before you left, I promised myself that I was going to accomplish a few things off our vision board this year." Emily began. "That I would be able to do that before you came back so you could be proud of me. But seven months later here we are, standing on the same spot where we found out you got into King's College and I haven't checked a single thing off." She said dejectedly, not taking her eyes off their vision board. "You're going places and I'm still here. You're leaving me behind."

Jai slowly wrapped her arms around Emily's waist from behind, pulling her girlfriend close to her. "We have all the time in the world, Em." She whispered reassuringly as she rested her chin on Emily's shoulder. "That right there is _our_ future. I'll help you achieve your dreams." She promised as they both stared at their vision board.

"I feel like we're running out of time." Emily admitted, placing her hands on top of Jai's. "I don't want you to leave me behind. But I don't want you to miss this opportunity." She said hoarsely.

Jai took a deep breath and moved to face her girlfriend, turning her back on the vision board. "Em I'm not leaving you behind." She began, stroking Emily's cheek softly. "I meant what I said back at the airport. I'm not leaving you again. I don't plan on pursuing a career in London. Nor do I plan on living there. I'm right where I'm supposed to be. We'll go to UPenn together. Just like we planned." She promised, gently brushing the tears that fell from Emily's eyes. "We'll always be together. No matter what." She whispered when the girl moved to hug her. "And just because you haven't checked anything off our vision board yet doesn't mean I'm not proud of you." Jai said quietly as she stroked Emily's back gently. "The things we placed there are just some of the things we want out of life. It doesn't define us entirely. I'm proud of you Emily Fields. Always remember that."

* * *

The sound of a distant buzzing made Paige strain her ears, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. When she realized that her phone was vibrating once again against the driver's seat, she thought about ignoring the call but something about the way it was buzzing made her push herself off the hood of her dad's car and approach the door to the driver's side. She leaned her head forward through the rolled down car window and grabbed her phone inside, checking to see who was calling her this time. Her eyes narrowed when she saw that the number wasn't registered in her phone and for a second she debated what to do.

"Hello?" Paige said in greeting when she finally decided to answer the call.

"Paige? It's Spencer." The voice at the other end of the line made Paige furrow her brows in confusion. "One of Emily's friends." Spencer added when Paige failed to say anything in response.

"Yeah. Yeah I know who you are." Paige managed to say after a beat. "I was just surprised. Why are you calling me?" She asked, puzzled.

"Where are you?" Spencer inquired, not answering Paige's question.

Paige looked around her, thinking of a response to that question. "Somewhere outside of Rosewood." She finally answered vaguely. "Why?"

"Can you come to Emily's house?" Spencer asked in a tone that made it obvious to Paige that the girl was reluctant to ask this of her.

"Why?" Paige asked again. "Isn't she at the Hayes'? Kayla told me she saw Emily there earlier."

"She _was_ there." Spencer began. "With me, Hanna and Aria. But we didn't stay long. Hanna said she saw Logan take Emily aside and then gave something to her. She didn't see what it was. But after that Emily asked that we take her home and she hasn't said a word since then." She explained.

"And you called me because...?" Paige inquired, still confused about the entire conversation she was having with one of Emily's friends.

"You might be able to get through to her." Spencer answered reluctantly.

"I don't know about that." Paige said, the uncertainly evident in her voice.

"Can you try? Just this once. For Jai. Do this for Jai. Keep the promise you made to your best friend." Spencer reminded her.

Paige swallowed hard, conflicted as to why she's going to do what she's about to do. "Fine. I'll be there soon." She said before ending the call without giving Spencer a chance to respond. She stared at the phone she held in her hand for a moment, seemingly in a daze. She still didn't want to return to Rosewood. Not until it was time to say goodbye. But Emily... Paige wearily ran a hand through her hair and glanced at the town below... she had to get back to reality for Emily.

* * *

"Come on. Not even a peek?" Jai asked pleadingly as she tried to move past Emily to get to her girlfriend's closet.

"Nope." Emily repeated, shaking her head adamantly. "Not even a peek." She repeated.

"But how am I supposed to buy my tux for prom if I don't know what you're wearing?" Jai reasoned out.

"Royal blue. That's the color of my dress. That's the only clue I'm giving you." Emily stated firmly, grinning when she saw Jai's frustration at being the denied the opportunity to see her prom dress.

"It's not fair. Paige saw you wearing it." Jai reminded Emily.

"But I bought the dress for you. That's why I don't care if she saw it already. Letting you see me wear it before prom is totally different. I want to see the look on your face when you see me wear it for the first time." Emily confessed. "I was worried about buying a dress this early actually."

"Why?" Jai asked, finally giving up and sitting on the edge of Emily's bed.

"I just feel like it's too soon." Emily explained, moving to sit beside Jai. "Don't you?"

Jai shook her head. "No. I don't. I actually wish I could take you to prom right now. May just seems so far." She said, smiling at Emily faintly.

"I can't wait for prom too." Emily admitted.

Jai suddenly grinned. "You are most definitely going to be this year's prom queen." She stated confidently.

"Well as long as you get to be my king I don't have a problem with it." Emily said softly.

"I will _always_ be your king." Jai promised, taking Emily's hand in hers. "And if you can tell me that you already have a prom dress but won't let me see it, now it's my turn to tell you that I have a present for you from London but I won't tell you what it is." She said teasingly.

Emily's eyes widened. "What?! That's not fair! Mine is just a dress. Yours is a gift." She pointed out.

"All the more reason not to tell you about it. Don't you think?" Jai said, laughing lightly.

"Tell me." Emily pleaded, wrapping her arms around Jai's neck and pouting playfully.

Jai shook her head. "Nope. Not this time. That isn't going to work on me." She said, refusing to give in to Emily's cajoling.

"What would it take to make you say yes?" Emily asked sweetly.

"Show me your dress." Jai said, grinning.

"Anything but that." Emily said, shaking her head firmly.

Jai stared at Emily for a moment, the smile on her lips disappearing. "Then spend the night at my house again." She said quietly, her gaze traveling to Emily's lips. "After our date tonight, come home with me. Spend the night in my bed again. I could get used to waking up next to you everyday." She admitted.

"Then I should probably bring a change of clothes later." Emily said, making Jai smile.

"You could." Jai began, her gaze traveling to the clothes Emily was wearing at the moment. "Or I could lend you one of mine again. I like seeing you in my clothes."

"How about I see you in mine for a change?" Emily asked timidly.

Jai nodded. "That works too." She agreed.

"So what time should I be ready tonight?" Emily inquired, suddenly looking forward to their evening.

"Around seven." Jai answered. "I made reservations at eight. That should give us enough travel time."

"Okay." Emily said, smiling before she continued. "So will you now tell me what your gift from London is?"

"I'll do you one better. You already have it." Jai revealed, making Emily furrow her brows in confusion.

"But the last gift you gave me was him." Emily reminded Jai, pointing to the teddy bear in Cupid's costume that was resting on top of the pillows on Emily's bed.

"Hey I almost forgot about him. What's his name?" Jai asked as she got up and took the bear, returning to Emily's side and facing the stuffed toy to her girlfriend. The conversation regarding the other gift from London momentarily took a backseat as she looked at Emily expectantly.

"You're going to laugh." Emily said, reluctant to tell Jai the name she gave to the teddy bear.

"Why would I do that?" Jai inquired, confused.

"Because you're going to think it's weird once you hear it." Emily answered, taking the bear from Jai.

"No. I won't." Jai said earnestly.

"Promise?" Emily asked nervously.

Jai nodded. "Scout's honor." She insisted.

Emily took a deep breath. "Well you bought him from London. So I'm guessing he's British." She began, stroking the bear's fur.

"Okay." Jai said, listening to Emily's explanation.

"And I thought if he could really talk, he'd have an English accent." Emily continued.

"Go on." Jai said, smiling at her girlfriend encouragingly.

"And you remember in our English literature class we read about those knights during the medieval times... who come to the rescue of fair maidens." Emily explained, feeling her cheeks flush.

"Yeah." Jai uttered, amused.

"Well I thought about you. Being my knight. Proving to me that chivalry isn't dead after all. So I thought I'd give him a name that reminds me of you. I knighted him." Emily finally blurted out, meeting Jai's twinkling eyes.

"You knighted him." Jai repeated, staring at the bear with a grin on her lips. "So he's from London, British, and a knight. He's Sir...?"

"Wuvsalot. You know. Like Lancelot..." Emily stuttered.

"But Wuvsalot. Sir Wuvsalot. It's cute. I like it." Jai admitted, chuckling.

"You don't think it's weird or corny?" Emily asked, surprised.

Jai shook her head. "No. It's one of a kind. Just like you." She said, touching the stuffed toy and looking at it before meeting Emily's eyes. "Open your hand." She said after a beat.

"Why?" Emily asked, for some reason nervous.

"I told you that you already have my gift. Open your hand." Jai repeated.

Emily shook her head. "I don't want to." She said, her voice hoarse.

"It's going to be fine." Jai told her reassuringly. "It belongs to you so I'm giving it back. Open your hand, Em." She urged softly. When her girlfriend closed her fist tightly instead, she smiled faintly. "It kept me safe for as long as it could. It's time you got it back."

Emily shook her head adamantly, terrified. "No. I don't want it back. Not this way." She said quietly.

"Open your hand, Em. Please." Jai implored. "We're going to be late if you don't." They looked towards Emily's bedroom door when they heard the doorbell ring. "Paige is here." She explained when Emily turned to face her.

* * *

Paige killed the engine of her father's car and slowly got out of the vehicle. For a moment she just stood outside the Fields residence, dreading having to step inside Emily's house knowing what was waiting for her on the other side. She took a deep breath and finally made her way towards the front door, ringing the doorbell once.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Fields. Sorry for dropping by unannounced but is Emily home?" Paige asked politely despite knowing the answer once Pam opened the door.

Pam wordlessly stepped aside to let Paige in. "They're in the living room." She informed the girl once she closed the door behind her.

Paige nodded and slowly navigated her way around the house, heading towards the sound of people talking in hushed tones. Once she reached the entrance to the living room, the conversation abruptly stopped as three pairs of eyes focused on her instead.

"I'm here." Paige said in greeting. "What's wrong?" She asked no one in particular.

"We can't get through to her." Spencer said quietly. "We thought maybe you could give it a go." She added, stepping aside so Paige could see Emily lying down on the couch, staring blankly at the television which was in mute.

Paige swallowed hard and slowly approached the girl, sitting on the couch adjacent to her. "Emily." She said softly, touching the girl's shoulder to shake her but Emily was unresponsive. Paige looked at the three girls for support.

"Em, please." Spencer uttered, crouching in front of her friend so she was blocking Emily's view of the television screen. "Paige's here. We're going to be late. You need to get up." She said gently, touching her friend lightly on the arm.

* * *

"Paige is here." Jai repeated, standing up and extending a hand for her girlfriend to take.

Emily stared at Jai's hand, confused. "But I thought we're going on a date? Just the two of us?" She asked, looking up at Jai. "And you said you're going to spend time with her tomorrow. So why is she here? You said today was going to be all about us." She reminded her girlfriend.

Jai nodded. "It is. I just called her so she could give you a ride to the restaurant. I'll meet you two there." She explained.

"Wait. Why can't we go now?" Emily inquired, still refusing to take Jai's outstretched hand.

"I have to go there first so when you get there everything will be ready." Jai said patiently.

"Do you really have to go?" Emily asked softly.

"I do. I promise I'll meet you there." Jai said, crouching in front of Emily to make the girl listen to her. "I have to leave now. But before I go I need you to open your hand. Can you do that for me?"

Emily stared at Jai for a moment before nodding and finally opening her hand. "What does this mean?" She asked hoarsely, looking at Jai again once she saw what she was holding in her hand.

"It means you're going to have to dream for the both of us now." Jai answered quietly. "Promise me you won't forget me... even when you reach your dreams." She added, kissing Emily on the cheek softly.

Emily stared at the object she held in her head, her vision starting to blur. "Jai." She whispered brokenly as tears fell from her eyes.

* * *

"Emily." Paige called out softly when she saw the tears fall from the girl's eyes. "Hey." She said as she tried once again to shake the girl out of her stupor. "You need to get up. We need to go." She said hoarsely.

Emily finally blinked and stared at Paige, then at her friends' worried faces before she finally moved to a sitting position. "I don't want to go." She said quietly, not meeting anyone's eyes. "She's still alive. I know it." She said resolutely as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Paige looked at Emily's friends before moving to sit beside the girl. "You're not the only one who's..." She trailed off, struggling to make Emily understand. She took a deep breath and tried again. "The families of everyone in that plane will never get to bury their loved ones. Not the way they want to." She said gently. "They will never be able to give the funeral their loved ones deserve because they can't retrieve the bodies anymore. Not at that depth." Paige explained as tears began to flow from Emily's eyes again. "I know you don't want to accept it. But the only things recovered from that flight were Jai's luggage and whatever it is that you're holding in your hand." She reminded the devastated girl, nodding her head towards Emily's hand.

_I need you to open your hand. Can you do that for me?_

Emily mustered the courage to open her hand and sobbed when she saw the St. Christopher necklace she gave to Jai before her girlfriend left. She remembered now. Logan asked her to come by the Hayes' house earlier that day to return the necklace. Everything that happened after... none of it was real. It was all in her head. From the moment she picked up Jai in the airport... none of it was real.

Paige fought the urge to hold the sobbing girl in her arms and instead gave Emily the final push she needed to get up. "Logan and Kayla need you." She reminded the girl softly. "If you can't accept right now that Jai's gone, at least go to the funeral to support them."

Emily's friends moved to hug the devastated girl as Paige's words finally sank in, whispering words of comfort as their friend wept in their arms. Spencer gently helped Emily get up, her hands supporting the girl who looked like she was about to faint.

"Let's go." Spencer said softly. "We can't be late for the funeral." She reminded her friend.

Emily nodded wordlessly and let her friends guide her towards the front door, her grip tightening on the necklace she held in her hand with every step she took. "Are you coming?" She managed to ask when she noticed that Paige was still sitting on the couch, studying the four of them.

Paige nodded. "I'll be right there." She promised. "You go ahead. I'll just clean up a bit here." She volunteered when she noticed that the room was in disarray, standing up to begin fixing the throw pillows on the couch she and Emily occupied just seconds ago.

Spencer gave Paige a grateful look. "We'll wait for you outside." She informed the girl before she followed Hanna and Aria who were supporting Emily this time.

Left alone, Paige busied herself with cleaning up, trying to force her mind to forget the reality that her best friend is dead. Dead at seventeen. Jai would've been eighteen next month. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not at all. As she continued to clean up around the living room, she found herself starting to get agitated. She had to get out of there. She had to get away. She was about to leave the room when she noticed that the television was still turned on so she looked around her to search for the remote control. She finally spotted it lying on top of the coffee table and she picked it up, pointing the slim, rectangular object towards the television screen to turn it off when something caught her eye. Before she could change her mind, she pressed the mute button instead to return the sound just as a news report came on the screen:

…_Two weeks has passed since the crash that claimed the lives of three hundred and eighty-seven people, passengers and crew alike who were aboard Flight 715. Gina Lewis, lawyer of Vita Airways, the airline responsible for the crash, has released a statement earlier this week that the airline agreed to settle outside of court and pay the families of the victims of the flight that crashed at sea. Flight 715 was a direct flight from London to Philadelphia. Minutes before the crash, the air control tower at LaGuardia airport received a distress call from the pilot reporting of engine trouble and requested for an emergency landing but mere seconds later, the plane exploded in mid-air and crashed in the North Atlantic Ocean. Amidst the plane's debris, luggage of all the passengers in the flight were recovered but the fuselage of the plane quickly sank to the bottom of the ocean, taking the passengers and crew with it. Investigation as to what caused the plane's engine to malfunction is currently on-going and the government has exhausted all efforts to recover the bodies and search for possible survivors. However, earlier today, Richard Donovan, the White House spokesperson, has released an official statement about the fate of the victims of the crash…_

Paige immediately turned up the volume of the television to hear what the aging man had to say. She already heard the news earlier that day, but somehow she couldn't stop herself from wanting to hear it again.

…_Today, it is with genuine regret that the President of the United States has decided to call off the search and rescue operation for the flight that cost the lives of three hundred and eighty-seven people. Today, America grieves with the families who have lost their loved ones in the tragic crash. Two weeks have passed but no bodies have been recovered. The plane's fuselage has sunk to a depth that would risk the lives of even the most experienced of our divers and the President has decided to stop the operation. It is with a heavy heart that I am standing here today, bringing news that the ocean will serve as the grave of all the passengers and crew of Flight 715…_

Paige swallowed hard, forcing herself to turn off the television but the news anchor's next words made her stop.

…_.We here at USN would like to extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of the plane crash. Our thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of mourning. Reporting for USN, Marcy..._

Paige angrily shut off the television, putting the remote control back on top of the coffee table with more force than she intended to. The news anchor's parting words hit a nerve and a part of her felt guilty because she wasn't mourning. Not the way most people do. Not the way Kayla and Emily were mourning. She couldn't mourn because she's angry. She was getting angrier by the second and she didn't know why. She hastily left the living room and exited the house, slamming the front door behind her as she left to follow Emily and her friends. It was time to say goodbye.


	8. mutantur : chapter viii

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

_**Okay… so before anything else, I would just like to say that your reviews regarding the previous chapter were seriously amazing. Thank you. I do want to update this story as often as I can. Like everyday. LOL. But I have a seriously toxic work schedule outside of this fic and I'm trying hard to deliver a new chapter each week. As readers I know it sucks waiting for a new chapter… but as the author of this fic it's frustrating for me because all I want to do is keep on writing but because of work… I can't.**_

_**Next… I'm giving you guys a heads-up… don't hate me. But after this chapter, I'm going to go on another 1 week break due to another mini time jump in the story. The next two chapters after this will mark the end of Part I though, so after Chapter 10 of Part I, Part II begins…**_

_**Nae10 and jme2887... Thanks for the PM.**_

* * *

**PART ONE: "Mutantur Omnia Nos Et Mutamur In Illis"**

_~ All things change, and we change with them. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

_Nine Years Ago…_

Logan – 35

Jai – 8

Logan Hayes sat behind the wooden desk in his study, staring blankly at the framed awards and recognition lining the walls of the room. At thirty and five he prided himself with being one of the most gifted and brilliant of doctors in his field of expertise, able to diagnose and treat illnesses at its early stages. He was at the top of his game and that made him arrogant. Blind to what was staring him right in the face until it was too late. His grip tightened on the glass of scotch he was holding in his hand when his eyes drifted to the framed photograph on his desk. It was taken a few years ago, at a time when he felt he was living the perfect life. He stared at the beaming faces of his daughters before focusing on his wife's and felt a sudden wave of remorse. His wife was smiling but her eyes looked distant. Empty. He should've known something was wrong back then. Maybe this wouldn't have happened if he did. He looked up when he heard a soft knock on the door and realized he was sitting in the dark, the moonlight streaming in from the windows his only source of light.

"Daddy?" Logan sat up straight in his chair when he heard his eldest daughter's voice from the other side of the door. He couldn't afford to let his daughters see him fall apart. They need him to be strong. Especially Jasmine.

"The door's open, kiddo. Come in." Logan called out. He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth when he saw his eight-year-old daughter enter the room in her Sesame Street pajamas. The ones her mother bought her when she was five. The clothes barely fit his daughter now. Jasmine was growing up so fast that the pajama bottoms barely covered her ankles and the hem of the pajama top barely covered his daughter's stomach. He opened his arms when Jasmine walked over to him and enveloped his daughter in a comforting hug. "What's wrong?" He asked as he moved to let the girl sit on his lap and studied his daughter closely. Jasmine was the spitting image of her mother and he fought the urge to breakdown as his daughter looked at him with innocent, bleary eyes.

Jai rubbed her eyes sleepily. "I dreamt of mommy again." She admitted quietly.

Logan swallowed hard and kissed the side of Jai's head before speaking. "Were you scared?" He asked softly.

Jai shook her head adamantly. "No. Just really sad." She answered, fidgeting with the hem of her top. "I'm sorry I couldn't save mommy." Jai whispered, tears of shame falling from her eyes.

"Oh kiddo what happened wasn't your fault." Logan began, pulling his daughter closer to him. "There was nothing you could've done. Mommy was really sick. It wasn't your fault." He repeated, starting to rock his daughter back and forth as the girl wept in his arms again.

"I won't let it happen again." Jai said when she finally stopped crying. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you or Kayla. I'll take good care of you two." She vowed resolutely. "I won't be helpless again."

* * *

_Present Day…_

"My daughter Jasmine... Jai as most of you fondly call her, learned of responsibility and maturity at the young age of eight." Logan said as he began his eulogy. "I remember the last time she sat on my lap like it was just yesterday." He continued, smiling forlornly. "Her mother... my wife, just died and Jasmine was so consumed with guilt because she believed that she could've done something to stop the tragedy. The last time she sat on my lap was the last time she acted like a kid. After that night she forced herself to grow up so she could take care of me and Kayla." He said as he fought to maintain his composure. "Jasmine stopped being a kid nine years ago. She stopped playing outside with kids her age and instead threw herself into her studies and to being a good sister and daughter. She became compassionate... doing what she can to help others who weren't as fortunate as her. She didn't want to feel helpless again so she pushed herself to be someone who could do something that could change lives for the better. Jasmine had all these big dreams for her future... none of which could ever come true now that she's gone."

Logan looked at the huge crowd gathered around his daughter's casket before he continued. "Jasmine. You will be missed." He uttered, covering his mouth with his hand as he held back his tears. "You have touched, inspired and changed several lives in the short amount of time that you were here with us. We will never forget." He promised, wiping the tears in his eyes. "I'm proud of you kiddo. For raising Kayla and taking care of us. Daddy loves you so much."

Emily wiped the tears from her eyes and averted her gaze from Logan as Jai's father continued to deliver his eulogy. She looked around her and somehow felt comforted when she saw the number of people who came to her girlfriend's funeral. Although she still refused to say goodbye and believe that Jai is really dead, Logan was right. Jai has touched, inspired and changed the lives of the people gathered here today. But not one of them knew Jasmine Hayes like she did. Except for one. There was only one other person who knew her girlfriend's story. Her eyes slowly scanned the crowd for the girl who convinced her to show up today but she couldn't find Jai's best friend anywhere. Emily felt cheated. Paige told her to set aside her belief that Jai is still alive and attend the funeral to show her support to the Hayes but the girl couldn't bring herself to show up. She clenched her fists in anger. _Where the hell is Paige?_

* * *

_Nine Years Ago…_

Kayla – 7

Jai – 8

Michaela Hayes sat cross-legged in the middle of her bed, her complete attention focused on the wall in front of her as she watched the second hand of the clock tick away endlessly. She forced herself to watch the clock and think about nothing else as the object slowly counted the minutes until she had to go downstairs to go with her father and sister to their mother's funeral. She didn't realize she was crying until her vision of the wall clock blurred and she choked back a sob, unable to stop the tears from falling. She wiped her cheeks when she heard a soft knock on her door, followed by the sound of its opening and closing, telling her someone was in the room with her. When she saw that it was Jai, she hastily wiped the remaining tears in her eyes with the sleeve of the black dress she was wearing. She didn't want her sister to see her crying.

"I thought I'd check in on you." Jai explained as she slowly approached her sister with her hands behind her. "It's almost time." She added.

"Where will mommy go?" Kayla asked in a small voice as her sister sat next to her.

"Some place better." Jai answered reassuringly, gently brushing Kayla's long hair with her fingers while still keeping one hand behind her. "Somewhere that doesn't hurt."

"Can I come with her?" Kayla inquired, gazing sadly at the photo of her and their mother on her bedside table. "I don't want to be here. It hurts without mommy and I don't want her to be alone wherever she's going." She admitted as she fought back her tears. Between her and Jai, her sister has always been closer to their father and with their mother gone, she couldn't help but feel like she didn't have anyone anymore.

"She's not alone." Jai told her sister comfortingly. "I'm sure of it. Mommy is really good at making people laugh. That's why you two got along so well. She's going to make plenty of friends there in no time." When Kayla didn't say anything, she continued. "Besides, do you want to leave me and daddy too? Who would make us laugh? We need you here."

"I'm sorry. I just miss mommy already." Kayla confessed, unable to hold back her tears this time. "Damn it!" She exclaimed suddenly, angrily wiping the tears away. "I promised I wasn't going to cry anymore."

"Hey. What did mommy tell you about cursing?" Jai gently reprimanded the sobbing girl. She placed on Kayla's bed the object she was holding in her other hand before she moved to hug her sister. "Come here. It's perfectly okay to cry. I'm right here. Just let it out. I'm not going anywhere." She whispered soothingly, cradling Kayla's head as the girl finally wept in her arms.

When Kayla's tears finally subsided, Jai let her sister move into a more comfortable position before she decided to show the girl the thing she brought with her.

"I have something for you. But I won't let you have it unless you promise me that you will never curse again. Mommy doesn't want to hear those kinds of words coming out of your mouth." Jai reminded her sister as she picked up the object from the girl's bed. "Deal?"

Kayla stared at the thing Jai was holding, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Deal." She repeated hoarsely, wiping the remaining tears in her eyes and extending her hand towards her sister.

"My friends at Girard were reading this and I thought I'd see what the fuss was about so I bought one. I thought about it today and decided to give it to you." Jai explained, handing Kayla a gift-wrapped thin, rectangular object with a yellow bow on top. "Maybe it could take your mind off a little about today."

"What's this?" Kayla asked as she took the present and stared at it, looking at Jai curiously.

"Open it." Jai said encouragingly.

Kayla eagerly began to unwrap the gift and smiled when she saw the comic book. She opened the material gently and touched the glossy paper, admiring the colorful drawings in each page. She closed the comic book and studied the cover before looking at her sister again. "The Amazing Spider-Man?" She said wryly.

Jai shrugged. "That's what they were reading so I bought it. But the store I went to had lots more. It's a store full of superheroes." She revealed, smiling faintly. "I could take you there some other time if you like. We could spend the entire day looking for other superheroes."

Kayla nodded. "I'd like that. But why are you giving me this? Today?" She asked, looking at the comic book she was holding in her hands.

"Well superheroes somehow have this uncanny ability to tell when something is wrong. Take for example Peter Parker as Spider-Man. He has a spidey sense as he liked to call it. He can always tell when there's trouble. And he does everything he can to come to the rescue." Jai explained, looking at her sister earnestly. "I wanted to take your mind off mommy's funeral today. Even if it's just for a few minutes. But I also want you to believe that superheroes don't just exist in comic books. Sometimes they can exist in real life too. They don't need to have superpowers to come to your rescue." She continued, giving her sister a faint smile. "So I guess what I'm trying to say is... I'll try to be your superhero little sis. If you want me to. I promise I'll always be here for you now that mommy's gone."

* * *

_Present Day…_

"I could collect all the comic books out there and endlessly praise Stan Lee for his imagination. But Jasmine will always be my real hero." Kayla began, smiling sadly. "I just turned seven when our mom... when she... passed away. I have always been a mommy's girl so losing her... it was really hard for me. On the day of her funeral, Jai came to my room and gave me my first ever comic book. The Amazing Spider-Man." She added, swallowing hard as she proudly showed the crowd the comic book Jai gave her nine years ago. "When I asked why she was giving it to me she said she wanted to take my mind off our mom's funeral even if it's just for a few minutes. And that she wanted me to start believing in superheroes. That although these characters merely exist in the world of fiction, ordinary people can be superheroes in real life without having superpowers."

Kayla cleared her throat, trying to compose herself before she continued her eulogy. "I didn't understand it then. What she was asking of me when she promised that she will always be there for me. Like those superheroes in those comic books. They would know when something was wrong and they would come to the rescue whatever it takes. I thought Jai was crazy to think that she could be a superhero when she was just a year older than me. I didn't take her seriously because I thought she was saying all those things, making all those empty promises to me just because we were mourning. But Jai did it." She admitted, laughing lightly. "Faith. That was what my sister wanted to teach me that day. She wanted me to start having faith in people. To see the best in them. She didn't want me to grow up cynical because of what happened and she did that by asking me to have faith in her." She revealed quietly. "Ever since that moment I don't remember a day that Jai wasn't there for me. She became a real life superhero to me. Just like she promised."

"But unlike those superheroes in comic books where they can come back from the dead and exist in another reality or lifetime, my sister is gone for good." Kayla reminded herself and the crowd, letting her tears fall. "I guess it's my turn now to try and be a superhero to someone. You taught me to have faith, Jai. Not just in you, but in myself as well. So you can rest easy. Wherever you are. I'll take care of dad. For you and mom." Kayla promised. "Tell mom I miss her everyday. I love you both so much."

Emily looked around her once again as Kayla finished delivering her eulogy, wondering where Jai's best friend went. She hasn't seen Paige since they left her house in separate vehicles earlier and she was starting to get the feeling that the girl bailed on her and the Hayes after convincing her to show up for the funeral. She wanted to hear Paige's eulogy first before she gave hers but for some reason the girl who considered herself as Jai's best friend was nowhere to be found.

"Em, what's wrong?" Spencer asked from beside the girl when she noticed her friend's restlessness. "Are you okay?"

"Where's Paige?" Emily asked, not answering her friend's question. "She's supposed to be here. Have you seen her?"

Spencer shook her head and looked around them as well. "Have either of you seen Paige?" She asked Aria and Hanna who were standing behind them.

"No." Aria and Hanna answered at the same time. "She was following us in her dad's car when we left your house." Aria reminded Emily but her friend didn't seem to hear her.

"She's supposed to be here. She's Jai's best friend." Emily said to herself. "Why isn't she here?" She asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest to comfort herself. "They're supposed to be friends. Jai deserves better." Emily whispered, starting to get really furious at Paige.

* * *

_Four Years Ago…_

Emily – 13

Jai – 13

Emily Fields breathed a huge sigh of relief once she got to her locker, grateful that the first day of high school is officially over. She couldn't remember the last time she had a day worse than this day and she just wanted to get her stuff and go home, praying tomorrow things will be a bit better. She was actually looking forward to spending time with her friends after school but Spencer had hockey practice, Hanna left early when her dad showed up and Aria had to get home early to start dinner for her and her brother since their parents were getting home late. Emily was about to open her locker when someone tapped her on the shoulder urgently and she turned around to see who it was. She was surprised to see a gorgeous girl who was probably a couple of inches taller than her looking at her worriedly.

"Oh my god where have you been?!" The girl exclaimed like she had been looking for Emily all over school for some time now.

"Excuse me?" Emily asked, puzzled. She had no idea who the girl is and chances are the girl probably mistook her for somebody else.

"Where have you been?" The girl repeated. "Coz I've been looking for you my entire life." She continued, visibly cringing the moment those words left her lips. "I swear that sounded so much better in my head earlier. I'm sorry." The girl said, giving Emily a charming smile. "It's just that I've been trying to find a way to come up to you and..."

"That's what you came up with?" Emily interjected, laughing for what felt like the first time that day.

"At least I made you laugh." The girl observed, giving Emily a charming smile again. "I say that's mission accomplished. I'm Jasmine Hayes. Jai for short." The girl said, extending a hand for Emily to shake as she introduced herself. "New to Rosewood High and the town of Rosewood itself. Basically I'm the new kid." She added.

"Emily Fields." Emily said, introducing herself as she shook Jai's hand.

"So I know what I used back there was probably the lamest pickup line ever but... you have to admit you laughed." Jai said, leaning against the wall of lockers to face Emily.

"I did." Emily said, opening her locker to return her books. "But don't let it get to your head. It wasn't that funny. I just have a pretty shallow sense of humor." She added, giving Jai a wry smile.

Jai exhaled, relieved. "Oh thank god. I can't tell a joke even if my life depended on it." She confessed, smiling at the girl teasingly. "So do you have plans right now?" Jai blurted out suddenly, making Emily laugh again. "I'm sorry. I'm really not used to asking someone out." She admitted sheepishly.

"Well you're in luck. Turns out I have the afternoon free. What do you have in mind?" Emily asked, amused by the girl's forwardness.

"Coffee. Or pizza. Your choice." Jai offered.

"Pizza." Emily answered. "No more caffeine for me today." She added, expecting the girl to understand. For some reason she had this feeling that Jai was more than just a pretty face.

Jai nodded. "Got it. Well since I'm new in town maybe we could take the long way going to the pizza place. Show me around first?" She asked as she watched Emily get a couple of books from her locker before closing it. "Unless you have homework. I totally understand." She said hurriedly.

Emily smiled. "It's the first day of school. The only homework I have is a reading assignment and I'm in no hurry to hit the books. Come on. I'll show you around town. Then take you to the best pizza place here in Rosewood." She said as she moved to head outside the school.

Jai followed after Emily and hurriedly went ahead of the girl so she could get to the door first. "After you." She said as she pulled open the door, making Emily smile. "So what's your favorite pizza? Mine's Hawaiian. I _love_ pineapples." She admitted, trying to make conversation as Emily led the way outside of the school grounds.

**88888**

Emily subtly glanced downward and tried to hide her smile when she saw her hand in Jai's. The two of them have been going out for weeks now and although she was still getting used to the whole holding hands while walking thing, she couldn't deny the fact that she really liked the girl. Of course there were other girls who were trying to court her but none of them were Jai. Apart from the fact that the girl was definitely easy on the eye, there was just something about Jai that made her feel safe. They've been going out for weeks now. Probably even more than a month. And all that time her friends have been asking her nonstop whether Jai is her girlfriend and she didn't know what to tell them. As they continued to walk hand in hand down the streets of Rosewood, Emily was trying to find the courage to ask that question herself when Jai spoke up first.

"So I know this is going to sound completely out of the blue but... when I asked you about it a few days ago you told me that the last time you went trick or treating was when you were eight." Jai began, glancing at Emily and giving the girl a mysterious smile.

Emily nodded. "Yeah." She answered slowly, wondering what the girl was up to. "It just wasn't the same with my dad being stationed in Afghanistan. My mom made my costumes but my dad always took me and my friends trick or treating. Then he'd treat us to ice cream before he took us home." She revealed, smiling at the memory.

"I know the feeling. My mom always took me and Kayla trick or treating around our neighborhood back in Philly. I'm a daddy's girl myself but trick or treating was the one tradition I love doing with my mom." Jai admitted, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I was eight when she passed away and I just stopped participating in that tradition. Like you said. It just wasn't the same."

"I'm sorry." Emily uttered. This was the first time she was hearing about Jai's life in Philadelphia and she heard the pain in the girl's voice.

Jai shook her head. "It's fine." She said reassuringly. "I just brought up the whole trick or treat tradition because I kinda miss it." She explained. "So I was thinking tonight maybe we could give it one last try. Just for old times' sake. Let's go trick or treating." Jai suggested eagerly.

"Now?" Emily asked, laughing at the girl's enthusiasm. When Jai nodded, she continued. "Uh, okay. Not to burst your bubble or anything but I'm pretty sure tomorrow is when you really go trick or treating." She reminded the girl lightly.

"I know. But tomorrow night all the kids will be roaming the streets and they're going to hog all the candy. So I thought tonight we should go trick or treating first." Jai explained, grinning at Emily.

"Do they even have candy yet?" Emily asked dubiously, confused as to why Jai seemed dead set on going on a spur of the moment trick or treating tonight.

"Why don't we try?" Jai suggested, giving Emily a mysterious smile again. "We'll never know until we try, right?"

"But we don't have costumes." Emily reminded the girl, finally giving in to Jai's enthusiasm.

Jai squeezed Emily's hand reassuringly and led the way to a store they were nearing. "Let me take care of that." She said, opening the door and gesturing for Emily to go inside the costume shop first.

**88888**

"I have to admit. That was fun." Emily said as she entered her house through the kitchen door a few hours later, followed close behind by Jai. She placed on the kitchen countertop the bag full of goodies she got from all the houses they visited earlier before turning around to face Jai. "I know we probably looked silly. Walking around dressed like we just came out of a portal from the medieval times but I don't mind. I forgot how much fun I had doing this." She admitted, taking off the headdress she was wearing that went with her green gown and placing it beside the goody bag on the countertop.

"Well I for one think I should've worn a more comfortable costume than this." Jai confessed as she tried to move around in the knight's armor she was wearing. She took off the close helmet of her costume and took a deep breath while running a hand through her hair, placing the head gear on the countertop as she tried to sit on the chair Emily offered her. "Yeah I think I better stand." She said, laughing with the girl when the armor refused to bend when she tried to sit. "I think at one point I almost poked someone's eyes out with this fake sword when I took it out." She added, pointing to the object strapped to the side of the armor.

"Yeah next time you might want to think twice before brandishing that thing." Emily admonished teasingly.

Jai shrugged. "I was hoping to impress you. Maybe slay a dragon along the way." She added, making Emily laugh again.

"You took this medieval thing way too seriously but I'll let it pass. That costume suits you." Emily said when she finally stopped laughing and had the chance to study Jai. "You look hot." She admitted.

"I _feel_ hot." Jai corrected. "It's like this armor has thermal insulators inside it." She added, trying to look inside the suit to no avail.

"No. I mean, you look hot. In your costume. You look hot." Emily repeated, blushing. It was the first time she actually said it out loud and she felt shy for some reason.

Jai grinned. "Thank you. And you look amazing by the way." She said, moving to take the girl's hand in hers. "Milady." She added before kissing the back of Emily's hand. "I think it's time we checked out the candies we got." She suggested, letting go of Emily's hand when she saw the girl's cheeks flush.

Emily nodded and spilled the contents of her goody bag on the countertop together with Jai's, smiling when she saw the assortment of candies they got. "Some things never change." She said wryly when she saw the usual candies she got when she was a kid. She furrowed her brows when she noticed something different. "This one has my name written on it." She observed, picking up what she assumed was a chocolate bar since the candy was wrapped in gold-colored paper. She turned the bar over and over in her hands, letting her fingers graze the letters of her name which was written elegantly on the gold surface of each side. She looked at the pile of candies and decided to separate the ones with a similar wrapping, ending up with five bars in her hand.

"Maybe they're trying to tell you something." Jai suggested, the mysterious smile back on her lips.

Emily gave the girl a confused smile but decided to place the five bars on the countertop, arranging the words quickly and laughing in delight when she finally figured out what it said.

_Emily Fields, be my girlfriend?_

"Jai." Emily uttered, looking up at the girl eagerly.

Jai moved to take Emily's hands in hers and took a deep breath before speaking. "I really like you Em." She admitted earnestly. "A lot."

"I like you too." Emily confessed, smiling at Jai.

"I know we've been going out for almost a month now and I've been trying to find a way to ask you to be my girlfriend." Jai continued. "You're really special. And I think just asking you out of the blue isn't enough so I decided to ask the help of the people whose houses we went trick or treating at. I've never felt this way about anyone before. I've liked you the moment I laid eyes on you. And I just want to be able to take care of you. So... will you be my girl?" She asked hopefully, handing Emily the last chocolate bar she was hiding in her goody bag.

Emily took the familiar gold-colored bar and saw the writing on either side of it. Without hesitation, she faced towards Jai the side with the word '_YES_' scrawled across the surface and laughed when Jai's eyes widened once the girl saw her answer. Moving forward, she wrapped her arms around Jai's neck.

"Took you long enough." Emily said teasingly as Jai wrapped her arms around Emily's waist. "Yes, Jasmine Hayes. I would love to be your girl." She whispered and eagerly met Jai's lips with hers, feeling an overwhelming sense of security that she was with someone as put together and amazing as Jasmine Hayes.

* * *

_Present Day…_

Emily cleared her throat, trying to compose herself as she prepared to deliver her eulogy. She took a deep breath and looked around the huge crowd, her eyes settling on Kayla and Logan before she began speaking.

"Kayla's right. About Jai being a real life superhero." Emily said, smiling at Jai's younger sister. "I will never forget the day we first met. I was having a really bad day. It was the first day of our freshman year and it was just one of those days where everything seemed to go wrong so I couldn't wait to get home. I was about to return some of my books in my locker when someone tapped me on the shoulder urgently. When I turned around I saw this beautiful, tall girl looking panicked. Then she said, '_Oh my god where have you been?_'" She recounted, smiling sadly when she remembered the first words her girlfriend said to her. "For a while I was confused. I didn't know her. So I said, '_Excuse me?_' And then she said it again. She said, '_Where have you been? Coz I've been looking for you my entire life_.'" She finished, unable to stop her tears from falling.

"I know. I know." Emily said, managing to laugh a little with the crowd through her tears. "It was probably the lamest, cheesiest pickup line you could ever hear. But she made me smile. And from that day forward she has always made me smile." She said quietly. "We've been together for more than three years but early into our relationship we were making all these plans for our future already. I didn't mind though. Because that's one of the reasons why I love her so much. Jai's the type of person who wasn't afraid to dream big. When I met her she already had everything planned out. At thirteen she knew what she wanted out of life and how she was going to reach her dreams." She revealed proudly. "Having her in my life inspired me to do the same. To start making plans for my future not just a year or two from now but in the long run. That's why she went to London in the first place. Because it was part of our plan. Of her dream of becoming a world-renowned doctor years from now. For years we dreamed of a future together but those dreams took her away from me instead. This. This wasn't part of the plan. And now I'm supposed to keep dreaming for the both of us. But I don't know how. Right now all I could think about is that I just want her back." She admitted helplessly. "Jai. I miss you _so_ much." Emily uttered, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she tried to comfort herself. "I miss you, love." She whispered brokenly.

Paige miserably watched the funeral from afar, her fists clenched at her sides as she tried to control the anger she felt. She didn't know why she was angry. Who she was angry at. She just felt angry about everything. She gazed at the people crowded around her best friend's casket and felt her chest tighten. She continued to stare at everyone, her eyes not quite meeting anyone's until she felt Emily's eyes on her. The girl was done delivering her eulogy and on her way back to her friends, Emily spotted her trying to hide behind a tree. Paige reluctantly held the girl's gaze, refusing to apologize for not joining them. She felt horrible. More than anything, right now all she wanted was to be by Emily's side but she couldn't bring herself to walk towards the girl. It felt wrong to be at her best friend's funeral while standing beside Jai's girlfriend, the girl she wished was hers. She looked away, ashamed at the thought that just crossed her mind. Placing her hands inside the pockets of her sweatshirt, she shook her head firmly when she looked at Emily again and saw that the girl was about to walk towards her. Looking one last time at the people gathered to say goodbye to Jai, she turned her back to the funeral, to her best friend and to Emily, breaking into a run to get as far away from the cemetery as possible. She tried to shut everything out but her feet weren't fast enough to let her escape the memories, reminded that she never wanted to be friends with Jasmine Hayes in the first place.

* * *

_Seven Years Ago…_

Paige – 10… 11

Jai – 10

Paige McCullers stared at the daunting door in front of her, dreading stepping inside the room and meeting the person behind it. She didn't understand why she had to transfer to a different room when the school year was almost over. She didn't understand what the big deal was. _Might as well get it over with_. Fixing the strap of her bag on her left shoulder, she sighed and knocked on the door, waiting to be let in. When the person inside the room told her to come in, Paige slowly opened the door and peered inside the room, trying to get used to the new surroundings.

"Hi." A tall girl with strong features said in greeting as she stood up from the chair she was occupying on her study table. "You must be Paige. I'm Jasmine. Jai for short. I'm going to be your new roommate." The girl explained, walking towards Paige eagerly.

"Obviously." Paige shot back sarcastically, still bitter about the sudden transfer. "Sorry." She said hurriedly when she realized that she was being mean to someone whose only fault was that she didn't have a roommate around the same time that the school board deliberated that Paige and her old roommate needed to transfer to separate rooms.

Jai shook her head. "It's fine. I know you don't like the sudden change. You and your old roommate were pretty close." She said understandingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Paige asked defensively.

"Nothing. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound malicious or anything. I'm just trying to say that I understand. Why you're reluctant to change roommates so suddenly. I get it." Jai said reassuringly.

Paige scoffed. "I doubt that." She retorted.

"I do. I'm like you." Jai revealed, giving Paige a knowing smile.

"Again. I doubt that." Paige stated, starting to get irritated.

"Paige I got your back. I know we just met and you don't have any reason to trust me. But if you need my help. You know... with that whole roommate situation thing of yours. I got your back." Jai repeated, smiling earnestly.

"You shouldn't believe what you hear." Paige said bitterly. "You don't know anything. People talk but they don't know the whole story."

"I don't really listen to the gossip. I just see you two around here. You look good together." Jai admitted.

"We're just _friends_." Paige insisted. "Why won't anyone just accept that instead of making up and spreading these stupid stories and getting us in trouble?!" She exclaimed, stressed out with having to convince people that she and her roommate weren't trying to hide anything despite everything being true.

"Because you two behave otherwise when you think no one is looking." Jai revealed.

"Do you have proof of that?" Paige challenged, getting annoyed with Jai's smugness.

Jai grinned. "Well I was passing by the archives room on my way to the history section of the library last week when I heard this noise. I went over to check what it was and..."

"I don't like you." Paige interjected, stopping Jai from recounting everything that she witnessed in the library.

"You say that now. But I tend to grow on people. You'll see. I'll grow on you one day." Jai declared matter-of-factly.

"God I hope not." Paige muttered under her breath as she walked past Jai to get to her side of the room.

**88888**

"This is useless." Paige exclaimed as she slammed her pen on her study table, frustrated that she can't seem to understand anything in her notes when it was supposed to be simple math.

"What's wrong?" Jai asked, looking up from the Science book she was reading on her bed. She stood up and walked over to Paige's side of the room to see what was bothering the girl. "Maybe I can help." She offered.

"Jai it's fine. You've done enough." Paige said, refusing to let Jai see her homework. She didn't want the girl to help her more than she already had.

"Come on. Let me see it." Jai insisted, managing to grab a piece of the paper Paige was trying to hide from her but the girl wouldn't let it go. "Paige I told you it's fine. Let me help." She coaxed.

Paige sighed, contemplating what to do. She really needed to finish her Math homework or she won't be able to start her reading assignment in English. She finally relaxed her grip on the piece of paper she was holding and gave it to Jai. "I'm not stupid." She said quietly. "At least not until recently." She added as she watched the girl grab a chair and place it next to hers.

Jai looked up from the piece of paper she was studying and focused on Paige. "I don't think you're stupid." She said gently. "You're just having a hard time understanding some things. It's good that you're trying."

"Yeah but why am I having such a hard time?" Paige said miserably. "I know I was never as smart as you. But I used to get really good grades. Now I have a personal tutor whenever I go home during the weekends because my grades have been slipping and my parents think I'm slacking off." She revealed, embarrassed.

"Paige... when did this start?" Jai asked, concerned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." She added hurriedly.

Paige shook her head. "It's okay. I don't remember when exactly. But maybe... two years ago." She answered. "My dad's been really mad at me since then. He had all these expectations and when my grades started slipping he won't listen when I said I couldn't explain why. He thought I wasn't driven enough. It was his idea to hire a tutor for me and it helped a little but I'm still struggling."

"And this happened out of nowhere." Jai said more to herself, like she was thinking out loud.

"I guess. Maybe. I just know I woke up one day and felt... different." Paige admitted. It was the first time she told anyone about this and a part of her felt relieved that someone was listening to her. For the first time she felt she had a real friend.

Jai nodded wordlessly and Paige thought she saw a hesitation in the girl's eyes. She suddenly felt embarrassed, like it was wrong to have thought that Jai wasn't going to distance herself now that she found out that Paige was such a loser.

"We're friends. Right?" Jai suddenly asked, surprising Paige. "I mean I'd like to think we're real friends. Not just roommates or someone you just tolerate because you're sleeping in the same room with me." She explained.

"Uh, yeah. I guess we're friends." Paige answered when she finally recovered from her surprise.

When she began rooming with the girl, it quickly became obvious that Jai was definitely one of the popular kids in Girard. Granted their paths never crossed in the past but she'd heard about the girl. She just went by a different name. To everyone in Girard, Jai was known as 'Jazz'. The rich girl who had everything. The brain, the looks and the heart. When she finally realized that Jai was Jazz, a part of her felt intimidated. She knew Jai wanted to be her friend but sometimes she couldn't help but wonder why. The girl was always surrounded with people. She certainly didn't need someone like Paige. But instead Jai began spending a lot of time with her. Something other students began to notice and suddenly she wasn't anonymous anymore. But she wasn't Paige McCullers either. She became known as Jazz's friend. Popularity by association and it sucked. Sometimes she felt like she wasn't Jai's friend at all and that maybe Jai was starting to feel like Paige was just using her, which made her feel guilty.

"Remember that." Jai said firmly, jolting Paige out of her reverie. "When you feel hopeless. Remember that we're real friends. You're different from all the other people who flock around me. You're the only person in this school who's real. That's why I like spending time with you. That's why we're friends. You're not alone." She said earnestly before going back to studying Paige's Math homework.

Paige continued gazing at the girl seated next to her, touched by the words Jai said to her just now. For some reason she had a feeling that Jai knew what was wrong with her. Why she was different. Why she _felt_ different. But she didn't want to ask right now. They're friends. Just when she thought she drove the girl away for being different, Jai reassured her that that was the reason they're friends in the first place and she felt glad that she finally had a true friend.

**88888**

"Dude I thought I told you not to forget that we're friends?" Paige heard the agitation in her best friend's voice despite Jai's attempt to sound otherwise the moment she opened her eyes. She slowly took in her surroundings, trying to figure out where she was while trying to get up but she felt weak.

"Take it easy. You're in Penn State Gen." Jai explained, getting up from the chair she was occupying in Paige's hospital room and walking over to the girl's bedside. "I dialed 9-1-1 the second I got back to our room and saw you lying on the floor unconscious." She revealed, letting her eyes study the girl who was lying on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Paige opened her mouth and tried to speak but her throat hurt so she moved to get some water from the bedside table instead.

"I got it." Jai said, moving fast before Paige could reach for the glass of water. She handed the glass to her friend and helped Paige move to a sitting position so the girl could drink easier. "I should probably get the doctor and your parents. Tell them you're finally awake." She offered, moving to head for the door when Paige grabbed her arm weakly.

"Wait." Paige said hoarsely when she finally found her voice. "Don't tell them yet."

"Paige they're not mad at you for what happened. They're really worried." Jai gently told the girl who was obviously terrified to face her parents.

"Sorry if I scared you." Paige said quietly, unable to meet her friend's eyes as Jai took the glass of water from her. "Seeing me like that."

Jai shook her head. "I wasn't scared." She said reassuringly, making Paige look at the girl in surprise and confusion. "To tell you the truth lately you've been reminding me of someone I lost two years ago. Someone really important to me. What happened earlier today proved me right."

"What's wrong with me?" Paige asked, looking at Jai helplessly.

Jai bit her bottom lip before answering. "I have an idea but I'm not a doctor. I think someone older than us should tell you. They would know what to do." She said comfortingly. "But I'm going to be here when that happens. Don't worry."

"So we're still friends?" Paige asked, scared that she was going to lose the only real friend she made because of what she did.

"Yeah. More than ever. You're my best friend Paige." Jai reminded the girl. "And I promise I will never leave your side ever again."

* * *

_Four Years Ago..._

Paige - 13... 14

Jai - 13

Paige fixed on her left shoulder the strap of her messenger bag as she warily studied the building in front of her, dreading having to walk inside the halls of this unfamiliar place. For years she got used to attending a private school, living a life that is sheltered from the harsh reality of the outside world and she didn't want to leave it behind. So much has changed in her life in the last two years and though this was one of those things, she still couldn't believe her dad pulled her out of Girard and forced her to attend Rosewood High just because it was nearer to where they lived. Now she had to adjust and make new friends. Something that doesn't come easy to her. She looked around her and observed the students heading inside the school, walking in groups or in twos, all of them chatting excitedly, looking forward to the first day of their freshman year.

"You do know that it's not against the law to smile, right?" Paige turned her head to the right to look at the girl standing next to her, the look of astonishment and confusion in her face making her best friend laugh.

"What on earth are you doing here?!" Paige asked in disbelief and puzzlement. "You're supposed to be in Girard. Starting freshman year in high school." She reminded Jai.

Jai shrugged. "I decided to shake things up a bit. Girard was starting to get boring." She explained nonchalantly.

"Jazz." Paige uttered, running a hand warily through her hair. "Please tell me you didn't transfer to Rosewood High for me." She asked, dreading to hear the girl's answer.

"I didn't transfer to Rosewood High for you." Jai repeated, grinning.

"You suck at lying." Paige retorted, shaking her head. "At least pretend you're trying to lie when you're trying to lie." She pointed out, making Jai laugh again.

"My dad wanted to move out of our house anyway. Bad memories." Jai said vaguely knowing Paige understood what she was referring to. "So I asked that we move here instead. That way I can be near you. Kayla's still in Girard though. But she didn't mind the move. She's going to come home during the weekends."

"Wait... your _entire_ family is living in Rosewood now? Why?" Paige asked incredulously.

"Why what?" Jai asked innocently.

Paige rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Why didn't you tell me about this and why would you give up your life in Philly to live here?" She asked in disbelief.

"I didn't tell you about it because I knew how you were going to react. But even if I did, it's not like you could've done something to stop it Paige. My dad wanted to move here too." Jai explained. "And I don't mind leaving my life in Philly behind. I promised I wasn't going to leave your side again. I meant that." She reminded the girl, her tone serious. "I don't want to lose you Paige. You're my best friend."

Paige looked away, choosing to focus on the building in front of them. Suddenly things seemed a little bit better. She didn't want to admit it but Jai's presence next to her comforted her and she was glad her best friend was there. "Thanks." She said hoarsely.

* * *

_Present Day…_

Paige stood unmoving as she stared miserably at the building in front of her. She had been running aimlessly around town since she left the cemetery. Or so she thought. When she finally stopped, she found herself standing in front of Rosewood High like she was during her first day of high school. She looked to her right, seemingly waiting for Jai to appear out of thin air and tell her she wasn't going to leave Paige's side again but she knew that wasn't going to happen. She swallowed hard and placed her hands inside the pockets of her sweatshirt, looking straight ahead as she began making her way towards the school. She knew it was a long shot considering it was a Saturday afternoon but sometimes the school is open for faculties who decide to work on a weekend. When she finally reached the entrance, she slowly pushed the door open, relieved that it wasn't locked. For once something went right today. She let the door swing close behind her while she stood in the middle of the hallway, contemplating where to go next before she decided to make her way towards the student lounge with her head down, her footsteps echoing in the empty space.

"What took you so long?" Paige looked up when she heard the anger in Emily's voice, surprised to see the girl sitting on one of the couches.

"Where did you come from?" Paige asked, confused, looking behind her before returning her attention to Emily.

"The funeral." Emily answered, getting up. "You do know there was a funeral, right? The funeral for your best friend. The one you insisted I attend because Logan and Kayla needed my support and then you didn't even bother to stick around to bury an empty casket when you so adamantly believe that she's dead! Look at me!" She yelled when Paige looked away. "Where were you?" She asked in a low voice, slowly walking towards the girl who stood frozen in place.

Paige swallowed hard, unable to meet Emily's eyes. Unable to explain to the girl the reason why she couldn't bring herself to attend her best friend's funeral.

"Jai deserved better." Emily said when she was finally standing in front of Paige, not bothering to hide the anger she was feeling. "She's your _best friend_. You're supposed to be friends. So where were you? Huh? Answer me!" She exclaimed, raising her fists and placing it against Paige's chest, unable to stop her tears from falling. "Where were you?" She asked brokenly, looking up at Paige. When the girl just kept looking away, she began pounding her fists on Paige's chest, willing the girl to answer. "You suck! How dare you call yourself her best friend when you won't even mourn?! You stand there like nothing's wrong. Why won't you mourn? Why won't you feel something? You suck! You suck!" Emily exclaimed, hitting Paige repeatedly, not caring if she was hurting the girl. "You want me to stop believing that she's still alive but you refuse to do the same. How could you do that?!"

"Emily!" Kayla shouted from behind Paige, making the girl stop. "That's enough." She said as she approached the two girls. After the funeral, she saw Emily leave the crowd with a determined look and she decided to follow her sister's girlfriend to see where the girl was going. Now it was obvious that Emily had an idea as to where Paige might have gone but she didn't know the girl was looking for Jai's best friend to give Paige a hard time for not showing up. "She gets it." Kayla told Emily as she glanced at Paige. "Em she gets it. I know you're hurting right now. But please stop hurting her." She pleaded.

Emily furiously wiped the tears from her eyes and stared at Kayla then at Paige before deciding to leave. "You're the worst. Jai deserves better." She said quietly, pushing past Paige as she walked away.

Paige's eyes followed Emily and she watched until the girl's raven hair was out of sight before she turned to face Kayla. "You should've let her take her anger out on me." She said softly. "She's grieving."

"Doesn't give her the right to hurt you physically, Paige. I'm grieving too. But I'm sure you won't let me hit you repeatedly even if it meant it would make me feel better. You're just letting her because she's Emily." Kayla pointed out. When Paige didn't say anything, she took out something from her handbag and handed it to the girl.

"What's this?" Paige asked as she took the package from Kayla, frowning when she saw the red bow on top.

"Your birthday gift." Kayla said, smiling faintly. "I didn't have the time to wrap it properly because I was busy helping my dad the entire day so I just placed that bow on top instead."

Paige stared at Kayla. "Sour Patch Kids?" She said wryly.

Kayla shrugged. "It used to cheer you up." She pointed out.

"Yeah. When I was _ten_." Paige reminded the girl.

"So sue me for thinking it could work today." Kayla retorted. "I just wanted to let you know that I didn't forget. Despite everything. Despite how depressing today is because technically I buried my sister this afternoon. I didn't forget. Happy eighteenth birthday Paige." She said quietly.

Paige ran a hand through her hair, worn out. "Not really a happy one. All these years I keep wondering why I even bother to celebrate when there's no reason to. Nothing good ever happens on the day I was born." She said miserably.

"What are you talking about? _You_ happened. I think that's one reason to keep celebrating this day." Kayla pointed out, trying to lift the girl's mood.

Paige scoffed. "Except now I'm going to have to remember this day also as the day we buried my best friend. I really don't know how I'm supposed to feel about that one." She admitted, suddenly feeling drained. The day was really taking its toll on her.

"If you ask me I think it's another reason to celebrate. Think of it as a way to honor Jai's memory. My sister's sudden passing is a reminder to all of us that life is short. You shouldn't waste it by trying to find reasons not to celebrate. And you shouldn't waste it by avoiding people who matter to you." Kayla added knowingly.

"Is this your barely subtle way of telling me to talk to Emily?" Paige asked, looking away.

"Yeah. And my way of telling you that I know why you weren't there during the funeral." Kayla answered understandingly.

"Kayla. I'm so sorry." Paige said remorsefully.

Kayla shook her head. "Hey. I get it. But Emily... Emily's pretty mad at you." She said reluctantly.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Obviously. You were standing right there when she lashed out at me." She pointed out.

"Are you ever going to tell her why you can't bring yourself to come to my sister's funeral?" Kayla asked, ignoring Paige's sarcasm.

"Do you know why I wasn't there?" Paige inquired, surprised.

"I think I have an idea. I still think you should visit her though." Kayla suggested gently.

Paige shook her head. "I don't think I can." She admitted quietly. "Not right now."

"It'll help you work through your feelings. Mend your relationship with Emily." Kayla explained, giving Paige a small smile.

"What relationship?" Paige asked, laughing dryly. "Maybe it's better if she stays mad at me."

"Well I don't think it's good that you're mad at my sister." Kayla reminded Paige. When she saw the surprise in the girl's eyes, she continued. "Like I said. I know, Paige. You can't hide it. We've known each other for years. I know how angry you are right now. That's why you couldn't attend." She said sympathetically. "You should tell her that. Admit why you're so mad. It'll help. I know it will." When the girl refused to budge, Kayla dropped all pretenses of being put together and finally let the tears fall from her eyes. "Please. Just _do_ something to lessen your anger before you spiral out of control. I... I'm really worried about you. I'm not Jai. I can't... I need you to be okay. I'm all alone now. I'm not Jai. I can't be Jai for you." She confessed, terrified that she's going to lose Paige too.

"Hey." Paige uttered, Kayla's pain finally convincing her to move as she hugged the girl close. "You don't have to be Jai." She said as she comforted the grieving girl. "No one's expecting you to be Jai. I know you're really worried about me. But I'll be fine. I won't do anything stupid. I promise." When she felt Kayla nod her head, she held the girl closer. "You're not alone. You have me. You have Emily. You have your dad. Believe me, you won't lose him. We'll be fine." She whispered, willing herself to believe the words she said despite feeling like she did when she was alone in that room she shared with Jai back in Girard. Before she woke up in the hospital. She can't let Kayla know.

* * *

"Sweetie, do you want some company?" Pam Fields asked from the living room entrance. "I can make us some hot chocolate." She offered, waiting for her daughter's motionless form to acknowledge her presence but Emily seemed not to hear her.

After her upsetting run-in with Paige earlier that day, Emily decided to head straight home, not having the energy to do anything else. Jai's death left a gaping hole in her heart but she still refused to believe that her girlfriend is really gone. As she sat staring blankly in front of the fireplace, she knew in her mind and in her heart that Jai is still somewhere out there. Alive. Because she would know. She would feel it if Jai died. What they buried that afternoon was merely a casket filled with Jai's things recovered from the plane crash. Jai is still alive.

"Thanks mom. But I just want to be alone right now if that's okay." Emily finally answered, her eyes never leaving the roaring fire. She knew her eyes were probably puffy from all the crying she did and her voice sounded raspy but she didn't care.

"Of course." Pam said, trying to smile understandingly as she fought back her tears, unable to bear to see her daughter in so much pain. She wanted to say that things will get better. That she's just seventeen and that she will find love again. But she knew her daughter and now wasn't the time to say those words to her. Right now Emily is still in denial. Her daughter believes that Jai is still alive and she refused to believe otherwise. Pam looked towards the front door when she heard the doorbell ring and glanced at her watch, wondering who could be at the door at this late hour. "I'll get that." She offered, glancing at Emily who still sat motionless on the couch.

Pam made her way towards the front of the house and raised her brows in surprise when she took a look at the eyehole and saw who it was. She kept her expression neutral as she grabbed the knob and opened the door.

"Good evening, Mrs. Fields." Paige said politely in greeting. "I'm sorry for dropping by unannounced again. I know it's really late but I was wondering if Emily is still up. I was hoping to talk to her." She explained hesitantly.

Pam studied the girl standing in front of her and felt her heart go out to Paige when she saw the pain in the girl's eyes. It was fleeting but she saw it. "She's still up but she wanted to be left alone." She explained gently. "Maybe you should come back tomorrow. You look like you could use some sleep right now. I'm sure today was a hard day for you as well."

"Please?" Paige implored. "It won't take long. I just need to talk to her. I'll leave if she tells me." She promised.

Pam stared at Paige for a moment longer before finally deciding to move and let the girl in. "She's in the living room." She supplied once she closed the door behind Paige. "I'll be in the kitchen." She added before leaving the girl by herself.

Paige cautiously made her way towards the living room, dreading having to face Emily after what happened that afternoon. After she and Kayla walked back to the cemetery so she could get her father's car where she left it after she ran away, she drove Jai's sister home and spent the rest of the afternoon driving around aimlessly until she finally decided to heed Kayla's advice and talk to Emily. When Paige saw Jai's girlfriend seated on the same couch she was occupying earlier that day, Paige walked further inside the room until she was within eyesight of the girl to let Emily know it was her.

"What are you doing here?" Emily asked coldly. "Come to whisk me away again to some funeral you're not going to attend?" She added, glaring at Paige. "What you did today was completely unfair."

Paige sighed and moved to sit beside Emily, staring at the roaring fire in front of them. "I know. That's why I came by to apologize." She finally said, not meeting Emily's eyes.

"For what?" Emily challenged. "For telling me to set aside my belief that my girlfriend is still alive just so I could attend her funeral to show my support? For asking me to accept Jai's death when you yourself couldn't accept it? How is that fair, Paige? Why should I stop believing that she's still somewhere out there alive when you believe the same thing?" She asked, hurt.

"Emily... I... I didn't go to Jai's funeral not because I believe she's still alive." Paige said gently. "I think she's dead. I know you don't want to hear it. I'm sorry. But that's the truth."

Emily scoffed. "Why is it so easy for you to just accept that she's dead? What happened to having hope and going through so much crap that you believe things could only get better? You're all talk but when it matters you're the first to give up." She said bitterly.

"It wasn't easy." Paige said, the pain evident in her voice. "She was the only real friend I had and now she's gone. It wasn't easy to accept she's dead. Sometimes things get worse before they could get better. For me, believing those words is having hope. But I think there's a fine line between hoping and just refusing to accept the truth."

"And you think I'm just in denial. Well there's also a fine line between acceptance and giving up and I don't want to be like you." Emily said, starting to get angry again. "You know what's worse? You're the one who believes that she's dead yet you told me to show up to her funeral today. You couldn't even say goodbye? Why weren't you there?"

"I had some issues to work through. About what happened." Paige answered, trying to explain her feelings. "I know you think I'm a bad friend. That Jai doesn't deserve someone like me. And you're probably right. But I can't just ignore how I feel too. I know it sounds selfish but the truth is... I couldn't bring myself to come to Jai's funeral because I was really mad at her." She said quietly. "I still am."

Emily looked at Paige in surprise when she heard the rage and sorrow in the girl's voice. She studied Paige for a second. "Because she died." She said when she realized the reason why.

Paige nodded. "She was supposed to come back." She said bitterly. She took a deep breath and tiredly ran a hand through her hair. "You have _no_ idea how much I needed her to come back." Paige repeated, not telling the girl why. "But instead she died. She left you. And now you're hurting and I can't seem to do anything to make things better."

Emily leaned her head on Paige's shoulder, the events of the day finally taking its toll on her and she felt exhausted. "I miss her so much." She whispered hoarsely. The tears she thought she didn't have in her after crying for hours fell from her eyes and she just let them.

"I miss her too." Paige admitted miserably. "I'm so mad at her but I miss her too." _Maybe this is what it feels like to mourn_.

* * *

Paige stood up slowly, careful not to disturb Emily's sleep as she moved to position the girl on the couch so she was lying on it. After hours of crying, Emily finally fell asleep and Paige decided against waking her up to tell the girl to go upstairs and sleep on her bed. Paige studied Emily's sleeping form, watching as the flames from the fireplace flickered across the girl's exquisite features before deciding to head upstairs to get a pillow and a blanket for the girl.

"I guess it's a good thing you came over then." Pam said from behind Paige, making the girl turn to face the living room entrance in surprise. "Emily hasn't been sleeping well since Jasmine... since your best friend died. Somehow your presence tonight comforted my daughter. Made her fall asleep this early."

Paige nodded and glanced at Emily again. "Would it be alright if I went to her room first before I left? I just want to get a pillow and a comforter for her. I don't want to wake her up and she might be uncomfortable if she slept down here the rest of the night." She explained, looking at Pam hesitantly.

"Go ahead. That's really nice of you to do." Pam added, giving Paige a grateful smile.

Paige wordlessly walked past Pam and quickly made her way to Emily's room. She slowly opened the door and headed straight for Emily's bed, taking a pillow and the comforter. She was about to make her way back downstairs when her eyes fell on the windowseat and she saw the paper bag with the dress she and Emily bought a few weeks ago, reminding her of how much Emily was looking forward to prom two months from now. She averted her eyes and headed towards the door but her eyes fell on Emily's dresser drawer next and she saw a picture of Jai and Emily. It was taken the day the two officially became a couple because the girls were in their Halloween costumes. Emily was wearing a gown that was reminiscent of a medieval times royalty and Jai was wearing a knight's armor. Paige moved closer, holding the framed photo to study it carefully as her eyes drifted towards her best friend. Jai was holding a sign that said '_She said YES_!' and Emily was holding some sort of gold candy bar with the word '_YES_' written on it. She calmly returned the frame to its position when she felt her chest tighten, for a brief second thinking it was because she was finally grieving. She should've felt sadness. But instead she realized she was getting angry again. She averted her eyes and headed downstairs to go back to Emily.

She headed back to the living room, expecting to see Pam sitting beside her daughter but Emily's mother was nowhere to be found. Paige slowly made her way to the girl sleeping soundly on the couch and gently lifted Emily's head, tucking the pillow underneath before unfolding the comforter to cover the girl's body. She gently brushed a strand of hair away from Emily's forehead, careful not to wake up the sleeping girl. She was about to step back when she saw a tear fall from Emily's closed eyes and she fought the urge to wipe it away. Even in her sleep Emily was still grieving and Paige felt more helpless than ever. She started when she heard a noise coming from the living room entrance and looked up just in time to see Pam enter the room to return the phone to its cradle.

"I just talked to Wayne." Pam explained when she saw Paige looking at her. "He wanted to come home to be with Emily but I told him she's fine. He's really worried."

Paige nodded. "I got the pillow and comforter." She said, looking at Emily again. "She's going to be fine." Paige said reassuringly as she looked at Pam. "She's a fighter. But right now she's grieving."

"I know." Pam said, staring at her daughter. "I just wish I could do something more to ease her pain."

Paige swallowed hard, knowing exactly how Pam feels. "I'm going to go now." She said instead. "Thank you for letting me in. Sorry for the trouble."

Pam walked Paige to the front door and opened it for the girl. "Don't be. I'm glad you insisted on talking to Emily tonight. Thank you for stopping by. Drive safe on your way home." Pam reminded the girl when she was outside; closing the door after Paige nodded and began making her way to her father's car.

Paige unlocked the door and got inside; taking out her phone when she realized how late it was and that her father was definitely worried sick by now. She hurriedly sent a message saying she was sorry she lost track of time and that she's going home soon, she just had one more place to go to before heading home.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Paige turned off the engine of her father's car and got out, slamming the door before making her way determinedly towards her best friend's grave. When she was finally standing in front of Jai's marker, she stared at it for a moment before speaking, placing her hands inside the pockets of her jeans.

"Jazz. Paige here." She began, taking a deep breath as she tried to control her anger. "First of, I guess I owe you an apology for not showing up earlier. But I didn't prepare a eulogy for you anyway so no harm no foul really. Whatever that means." She said, scuffing the ground with the toe of her sneakers. "Now it's your turn. To apologize. I want you to apologize for dying."

Paige removed her hands from the pockets of her jeans and crossed her arms in front of her. "I know I never said this before but when you and I became roommates then eventually became friends... when you told me we're real friends that was the first time I felt that I wasn't alone. When I woke up in that hospital bed terrified, you were there and you promised you weren't going anywhere and that made me feel better. When I started high school in Rosewood High and you showed up, I didn't want to admit it but I felt comforted. You were always there even if you knew it drove me crazy sometimes. You just kept showing up." She said wryly.

"So how about that apology from you?" Paige asked, staring at Jai's marker which was illuminated by the moonlight. "You know what, on second thought, don't apologize. I don't want it. Or maybe I do. But I need you to forgive me for something worse so maybe we could call it quits instead. Or maybe I could just stay mad at you. Because this is your fault. This is entirely your fault. Or not. I don't know." She rambled on, starting to get restless.

"I mean I'm not even sure why I'm talking to you when we both know you're not in there. Anyway, what I really wanted to tell you is that you suck. You had to go and make all these plans with Emily and then promised her you'll come back and then you died. _You freaking died_." Paige repeated, distressed. "And you left me. When you promised you wouldn't, you left me with this _amazing_, _insanely_ beautiful girl and I needed you to come back so I could stop feeling this way about her. But instead you died on me. What am I supposed to do now? Huh? Tell me." Paige implored, closing her eyes briefly in anguish.

"You have to help me. Give me a sign or something. Visit me in my dreams. Appear to me in a vision. Tell me I'm a horrible friend for feeling this way. Because I'm falling in love with her." Paige whispered helplessly.

"And I'm scared. Okay? I'm _terrified_. This wasn't supposed to happen. But now I can't stay away. Because I made a promise to you, remember? That I would look after her while you're gone. So now I'm stuck. Because you're not coming back. So I have to keep looking after her. And I'm liking it too much. _I'm liking it too damned much_." Paige confessed brokenly. "You suck. This is your fault. You should've listened to me. You shouldn't have left. I was doing fine pretending to hate her for years. I was resigned to being a complete jerk in Emily's eyes for the rest of my life because you two were perfect for each other and you made each other happy. But now you're gone and Emily is hurting and I don't know what to do. You suck. Happy birthday to me, right? This is just fantastic, Jai. Really. First my mom, then Ria, now you. You all suck." She said bitterly before walking away and heading home.


	9. mutantur : chapter ix

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

_**So this is the longest chapter yet… thanks for the reviews and enthusiasm about the story.**_

_**Nae10 and jme2887... Thanks for the PM.**_

* * *

**PART ONE: "Mutantur Omnia Nos Et Mutamur In Illis"**

_~ All things change, and we change with them. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

Paige crossed off another item listed in the minutes of today's prom committee meeting, checking to see if Emily forgot to mention anything else as the girl stood in front of the room, talking to the rest of the group. Prom is just a week away and Emily called for the meeting this afternoon just to finalize a few details and make sure that things would go off without a hitch next Saturday. Paige turned her head to look behind her and studied the group. While most of the students who sat listening attentively to Emily were members of the social committee, there were also some new faces. Students from various organizations like the art club and the AV club also volunteered to be part of the planning for this year's prom. When a pretty girl sitting at the back of the room averted her eyes from Emily and met hers, Paige immediately faced forward again before the girl could get the wrong impression that she was thinking of asking her out again.

"You forgot to remind Ryan and Ivy to follow up on the balloons and streamers." Paige whispered, leaning in close to the girl who just took a seat next to her in the front row.

"What? No I didn't." Emily protested indignantly, grabbing the checklist the girl was holding in her hand. She frowned when she realized that Paige was right.

"I'll take care of it." Paige immediately volunteered before Emily could interrupt Drew, the guy currently standing in front of the room who was rambling on and on about ticket sales. "I can swing by this weekend." She added as she wrote down those two things in her planner, mentally reminding herself as well to drop by the party goods store and the printer the second she returns from Virginia on Saturday afternoon.

"Thanks." Emily said, managing to give the girl a faint smile. She took a deep breath and wearily ran a hand through her hair before focusing her attention on Drew as he wrapped up giving the group an update on the ticket sales. Emily stood up once the guy looked at her and signaled that he was done. "Like Drew said, we only have a few tickets left to sell." She told the group once she was standing in front of the room again. "So in case they're planning to attend, remind your friends or anyone else you might know to buy their tickets for prom before they're sold out. Are there any questions?" Emily asked, looking around the room. When no one raised their hand, she continued. "We'll have a final meeting same time next week but for now meeting's adjourned." She declared before heading back to the chair she was occupying next to Paige earlier.

Emily busied herself with fixing her things, occasionally stealing glances at the girl standing next to her. Ever since the funeral, she noticed that Paige has been struggling a lot with the usual stuff. Like going to school and focusing on classroom lectures. It took the girl some time before she actually accomplished something these days and normally it was annoying but she needed Paige beside her once she ventured outside the four walls of the classroom.

"Ready to go?" Emily asked when she noticed that Paige was finally done fixing her things.

"Um... I wasn't aware that you were waiting for me." Paige answered, slinging her messenger bag on her shoulder and giving the girl a confused look. "Normally you leave without me and I had to run after you just so I could drive you to work. What's up with you?" She asked as she waited for Emily to lead the way outside the room but the girl refused to budge.

Emily shrugged. "Nothing." She answered nonchalantly. "Why don't you head out first? I'll be right behind you." She said, adding to the girl's confusion.

Paige studied Emily suspiciously before deciding to do as she was told, heading for the door to leave the room. Sure enough, as soon as her feet landed outside the classroom, the girl immediately fell into step beside her.

"Can you please walk faster?" Emily asked impatiently. "Now would be a really good time to channel the runner in you."

"Well if you're in such a hurry to leave school I can just meet you in the parking lot. I need to get my Trigonometry book from my locker." Paige explained, heading towards the opposite direction of the main entrance.

"I'll come with you." Emily hurriedly volunteered, surprising Paige.

"Okay that's it. What the hell is going on with you today?!" Paige asked as she stopped in her tracks and faced the girl.

"I'm trying to avoid getting asked to prom." Emily finally confessed. "So can we just keep walking?" She pleaded, leading the way to Paige's locker.

"And how is walking beside me supposed to help?" Paige asked as she caught up to the girl. "Do you expect me to scare them off or something?"

Emily shook her head. "I don't need you to do anything. I mean, not anything obvious. I'm just avoiding getting cornered when I'm alone." She explained uneasily.

"If you want strength in numbers you should've asked your friends to walk around with you." Paige suggested, upset when she heard Emily's reason. "There's three of them and only one of me." She pointed out.

"Yeah but not one of them could make it to the meeting." Emily reminded the girl, oblivious to Paige's feelings. "And even if they did, they want me to go to prom. They won't help me." She confessed just as they reached the girl's locker.

Paige didn't bother to respond, choosing instead to dial her locker combination in silence before pulling open the metal door, effectively blocking her view of Emily. She quickly grabbed her Trigonometry book but before she could close the door of her locker, she heard a girl's voice from somewhere to her right.

"Hey Emily." The voice said in greeting. Paige buried her head deeper into her locker, pretending that she was still busy looking for her book as she listened in on the conversation.

"You probably don't know me. My name's Jen." The girl continued, introducing herself.

Emily smiled politely before stealing a glance at Paige's locker door, mentally begging the girl hiding behind it to help her out of the situation but Paige seemed busy poring through the contents of her locker to notice her distress.

"Anyway. I know this seems kinda last minute but I was wondering if you already have a date for prom." Jen asked, blushing profusely.

"Um... thanks for asking." Emily began, giving the girl another polite smile. "But I'm going to have to say no." She continued apologetically.

"Oh. Uh. Okay. Thanks anyway." Jen managed to mumble. She stood looking at Emily for a second longer, seemingly lost as to what to do next before snapping out of her embarrassment. "I'm gonna go now." She said hurriedly before half walking, half running away from Emily with her head down.

Emily watched the girl round a corner before sighing. She turned to face Paige when she heard the girl's locker door close. "See what I mean?" She uttered when she saw Paige's look of amusement over the whole situation once the girl realized she wasn't exaggerating. "Girls have been coming up to me since last week and I'm getting tired of saying 'no'. It's like they just waited for a month before they decided to ask me to prom."

"Let me guess. You said no to that girl not only because she's not Jai but also because you're planning on skipping prom altogether." Paige stated as they began walking towards the school parking lot. "What do you plan on doing on prom night then?" She asked when Emily nodded.

"Just stay at home. Maybe watch a movie or two then call it a night." Emily answered. "What about you? Who are you taking to prom? You haven't bought any tickets yet." She reminded the girl as they exited the school building, choosing to focus the conversation on Paige instead. "Having trouble deciding which girl to take? You can probably buy the remaining tickets. I'll tell Drew to give you a discount." She offered teasingly.

Paige ignored Emily's quip, not in the mood to bicker. "You asked the wrong question. You should've asked me what I'm doing for prom first." She corrected.

"You're not going?" Emily asked, glancing in surprise at the girl walking beside her.

"Yep. I don't want to go to prom with some random girl and formals aren't really my thing. I don't like dressing up." Paige reminded Emily. "I joined an after dark 21K run instead."

"You joined a _marathon_?" Emily asked disbelievingly.

"Hey it's way more fun for me." Paige said defensively. "The more interesting question though is why aren't you going? You've been looking forward to that event for months." She pointed out.

"I was looking forward to it because of Jai." Emily admitted quietly. "But she's not around so what's the point?"

"The point is you can't spend prom night sitting in front of the TV watching horror movies." Paige said wryly. "We could go together if you want." She offered hesitantly, willing to forego her plans and rent some sort of formal attire at the last minute if the girl agrees to go with her.

Emily shook her head. "Thanks but I really don't want to go to prom." She insisted.

"You can go stag then go with your friends." Paige suggested next, not giving up on making sure that Emily ends up going to prom. She knew the girl was lying when Emily said that she was looking forward to the event solely because of Jai. "And I'm sure your friends are willing to go stag with you if you ask them. But then you don't really want to go stag." She added when she saw the reluctance in the girl's eyes.

Emily nodded. "Because then girls will ask me to dance and I just don't..."

"Want to dance with other girls. Got it." Paige said, finishing Emily's sentence.

"Besides. I don't want to ask my friends to go stag with me. I want them to have a memorable night and they won't have that if we all went stag." Emily continued as they neared the space where Paige parked her father's car.

Paige discreetly studied Emily from the corner of her eye and decided to drop the subject matter for now. She checked the time on her watch instead before speaking again. "We better hurry up or you're going to be late for work."

"You're really enjoying driving your dad's car to school everyday instead of riding your bike." Emily observed. "Why is he always home anyway?" She asked as they reached the familiar Buick Encore.

"He decided to work at home for now." Paige answered vaguely. "So I have to be somewhere until six but I can swing by the Brew before seven to pick you up." She explained as she unlocked the doors and waited for Emily to get in. "What?" She asked when the girl just stood in front of her.

"_Stop worrying about me_. I am capable of walking to and from work." Emily said, exasperated. A few days ago, Paige offered to walk with her to the Brew and she let her, thinking she could use the company. She was surprised however when Paige came back a few hours later, offering to walk her home this time. Left with no other choice, she let the girl accompany her. But that didn't stop there. Now she found herself being driven by Paige to and from work and while she appreciated the gesture, Paige won't give her a decent answer whenever she asked why the girl was doing this.

"I know that." Paige said, twirling the car keys around her left forefinger. "But I don't mind. Come on. Get in. You're going to be late." She reminded the girl before opening the door and getting in.

Emily checked the time on her watch and reluctantly walked to the passenger side of the car to get inside, buckling her seatbelt just as Paige locked the doors and started the engine. "Fine. But don't pick me up after work. I mean it." She said firmly, waiting for the girl to acknowledge that she heard what Emily said but Paige just stared at her. "I'll be fine. I know you're only doing this to keep the promise you made to Jai. So thanks. But you don't have to go out of your way to look after me."

"I'm not." Paige insisted, hurt that Emily thought she wasn't capable of genuinely caring about the girl. "It's just that you said you didn't want to be cornered about prom when you're alone." She reminded her, using Emily's dilemma earlier as an excuse to keep looking after her. "At least let me drive you home tonight. I'll be back before seven." She promised.

Emily heaved a sigh and faced forward, deciding to let Paige pick her up later. "Okay. But this better be the last time." She insisted. "Thanks for being Jai's best friend." She added sincerely, the fleeting look of sadness and guilt that crossed Paige's features gone unnoticed as she watched the passing scenery though the window.

* * *

Later that night, Paige found herself taking the time to slice a small portion of the sea bass on her plate, fully aware that her father was scrutinizing her every move as they sat in front of each other at the table during dinner. It's been more than a month since her best friend passed away and her dad has barely left their house since then. Although she tried convincing him that she was doing fine, her father refused to let her out of his sight unless she was leaving for school or training. Paige sighed inconspicuously, her eyes never leaving her plate as she brought the forkful of fish to her mouth and began chewing. The last few weeks made her feel like she was ten again and she didn't like it one bit. She understood her father's fear. And she was doing what she can to keep her illness at bay but his constant worrying wasn't helping matters.

"How was school today?" Nick McCullers finally asked the question Paige was waiting to hear as he continued to watch his daughter eat her dinner.

Paige shrugged. "Okay." She uttered her usual response once she managed to swallow the piece of fish she had been chewing, busying herself with cutting another small portion of her dinner just to have an excuse to not look at her father. She didn't want to see the worry written all over his face again.

"I was thinking. If you want to take a week off from going to school I'm sure your teachers will understand. You can just study here and I can swing by your school in the afternoon to borrow notes from your classmates, get your homework from your teachers." Nick offered, resting his chin on top of his hands as he brought them together.

"While you're at it maybe you could start holding my hand and walking me to all my classes too." Paige said in reply, fed up with the fragile treatment she's been getting from her father. "I'm sorry." She hurriedly said, looking up once she realized how disrespectful her words and tone had been. "I know you're worried about me. But I promise I'm really trying to feel better."

"I know." Nick said, giving his daughter a weary smile. "And I know you think I'm trying to find an excuse to keep you here. But I just don't want you to feel stressed out with everything you're dealing with right now." He explained gently. "Maybe studying here for a few days instead of going to school could help. It could lessen the pressure."

"Dad you and I both know that it's better if I spend some time outside... being around people. I need to because it helps with the distraction. I'm going to have a hard time doing that if I stay cooped up in here all day." Paige pointed out. "I have to keep my mind busy. Besides. Senior year's almost over. The last thing I want is to miss school."

Nick studied the girl thoughtfully, debating what to do. Ever since the doctors figured out what was wrong with his daughter, all he wanted was to keep Paige safe and alive. He knew it frustrated the girl most of the time but he couldn't bring himself to stop worrying. "Okay." He finally said, choosing to support Paige's decision for now. "Just make sure you don't push yourself too hard."

"I won't." Paige promised before returning her attention to her dinner. She just wanted the whole thing to be over. The dinner, the conversation. She just wanted to go back to her room and stay there until it was time to go to school again.

Ten years ago, Paige knew her father would have scolded her for not being driven enough. He would have given her a hard time, thinking she was slacking off with her studies and everything else. Her father was the last person she would expect to tell her not to push herself too hard and even suggest that she miss school for a few days. But because of her illness, her father was not the man he used to be. And though a part of her appreciated the change now that her father understood what was really going on, it resulted in him being overly protective instead and there are times when she couldn't help but wonder which version of her father she preferred.

"Still no word from UPenn?" Nick asked before finally starting with his dinner.

Paige nodded her head. "Maybe next week. But USC..."

"Isn't an option for you anymore." Nick interjected firmly, making Paige look up in surprise.

"But dad that's where I'm planning to go to college." Paige insisted. "I promised I was going to try hard to get into UPenn but I'm still choosing USC in the end."

"And I was willing to consider USC even if you got into UPenn." Nick said in agreement. "But that was before your best friend died. When I thought you were doing well." He added. This was one decision he wouldn't let Paige make.

"Dad what are you talking about? I _am_ doing well." Paige argued.

"You run at three in the morning." Nick pointed out. "Even running at four AM isn't normal routine for you. Don't think I haven't noticed."

"That's because I'm training. The triathlon is this weekend." Paige reminded her father.

"And you haven't been sleeping well lately." Nick added like he didn't hear Paige's explanation.

"I know." Paige admitted reluctantly. "But I'm pushing myself to keep busy. I can handle it." She promised.

"I'm sorry honey. But my answer is still no." Nick said with quiet authority. "It's too risky. Going to UPenn is the best option for you right now. It's just a few hours away from where I work and I prefer it that way because I want to be able to check in on you as often as I can. Or you can come home during the weekends to visit me too." He added when he saw the frustration in his daughter's eyes. "I want you to start seeing Dr. Hayes on a daily basis again starting next week. I talked to him and he said he's willing to make time for you in his office in Rosewood Gen and in Penn State Gen. You're going to UPenn." Nick said with finality. "It's near where Kayla studies and where Logan practices. You need to be around people who understand you."

"But you don't even know if I got into UPenn yet." Paige pointed out, barely able to keep the frustration and annoyance out of her voice. "What happens if I didn't?"

"Then it's either I'm going to have to pull some strings to get you into UPenn or I'm accepting that promotion to head our branch in Los Angeles and we're moving to California permanently. Either way, I'm not letting you out of my sight. I know you hate it but I'm just trying to keep you safe." Nick explained resolutely.

"_Fantastic_." Paige muttered under her breath bitterly as she started moving the food around her plate, altogether losing her appetite. She thought the conversation between them was over when her father spoke up again.

"Now about Emily Fields." Nick began, studying his daughter thoughtfully.

"What about her?" Paige asked nonchalantly even though she already had an idea about what her father was going to say next.

"How is she doing?" Nick continued.

Paige shrugged. "She's still grieving but she's doing better." She answered.

"Good. Then there's no reason for you to keep spending so much time with her." Nick concluded. "It's time you focused on feeling better. Stop worrying about your best friend's girlfriend. She's none of your concern. Let her family and friends take care of her instead."

"I can't do that. I made a promise to Jai before she left that I would look after Emily while she's gone. I'm keeping my word, dad." Paige explained. "I can handle getting better while making sure she's fine." She insisted, her conscience already mocking her for the lie she was telling her father. She wasn't looking after Emily because of the promise. At least not entirely. And right now she's still in denial when it came to the reality of her situation.

"Paige your best friend is dead." Nick reminded his daughter gently. "Trying to keep that promise you made isn't going to bring her back. It's not going to change things. It'll only make it harder for you to get better because being around Emily is a constant reminder that Jasmine isn't coming back. Nothing's changed. Your best friend is still gone. You can't keep looking after Emily for the rest of your life. So what's holding you back?" He asked, confused about Paige's stubbornness. Nick waited for the girl to answer his question but his daughter looked down on her plate of food instead.

* * *

Kayla routinely placed the items lined in front of her in the paper bag she was holding, the task she was doing seemingly committed to memory. For weeks she had been helping her father with the preparations for the event tonight and this afternoon she was on official gift bag duty. When she was sure that she didn't leave anything out, she looked to her left and handed the paper bag she was holding to the girl seated on the floor next to her.

"Thanks for helping out." Kayla said gratefully once Paige took the gift bag she was handing. "I know it was last minute but I really need to get this done before my dad comes back. And I wanted to see you before you have to leave." She admitted timidly.

Paige shook her head. "It's fine. I wasn't in the middle of anything anyway. I just finished packing for my trip to Virginia tonight so your call couldn't have come at a better time actually." She explained, sealing the gift bag Kayla handed to her once she was done double checking its contents. "And before you say anything else, I understand why you can't come with me. You need to be in Philadelphia tonight." Paige reminded the girl understandingly.

The two of them were currently sitting in the middle of the Hayes living room on a Friday afternoon, surrounded by gift bags that they were preparing for tonight's event. When her best friend was still alive, Jai told Paige that one of her dreams was to start a foundation for people with mental illnesses who couldn't afford to get the treatment that they need. But at the same time, she wanted to find a way to educate people about these illnesses so they can support their loved ones. Jai also planned for the foundation to be able to sponsor individuals who, like herself, want to pursue a career in the field of medicine, specifically those related to the study of the human brain and from that concept, her best friend came up with a perfect name for her foundation. Tonight, that dream of hers was going to come to fruition through the efforts of Logan and the rest of the board of directors of Penn State Gen. The _Gray Matter Foundation_ will be officially launched tonight at the Pennsylvania State General Hospital in honor of Jasmine Hayes and Paige still can't make up her mind between skipping the event or missing the triathlon for it that she brought with her an attire appropriate for the black tie event just in case she changed her mind at the last minute.

"Still. I'm sorry I couldn't go to Virginia with you. I was really looking forward to seeing you compete tomorrow morning." Kayla said as she handed another gift bag to the girl seated next to her. "But on the other hand, I don't want to leave my dad alone and I want to attend the event for Jai. I'm surprised my dad actually allowed me to miss school today for this."

"Where's your dad anyway?" Paige asked, looking around the spacious house.

"He's still at Rosewood Gen. He said he's going to swing by later when it's time to leave for Philly." Kayla answered as she began counting the gift bags to make sure they have enough souvenirs for the guests. "But hey, once the event's over maybe I can follow you to Virginia. I can be there before the competition starts tomorrow even if I take the bus. I know it's a five-hour ride but my dad and I are still too traumatized to ride a plane even if it's just for an hour."

"You don't have to do that." Paige said hurriedly. "Kayla I completely understand. Come on. This event is more important than my triathlon. And you don't have to force yourself to ride a plane just so you could make it to Virginia on time. Neither of us knew this was going to happen."

"I just don't want you to spend the night in a hotel room by yourself. I know you don't want to admit it but you're vulnerable right now." Kayla reminded the girl worriedly. "The reason your dad is still even letting you compete in this triathlon is because he thinks I'm going to keep you company."

Paige sighed knowing Kayla was right. "I've been able to keep my illness at bay for weeks. I'm sure I can handle one night by myself in a different state." She insisted. "And I have something I need to take care of once I get back tomorrow afternoon so I promise I won't do anything stupid while I'm there." She added, remembering she told Emily that she'll take care of following up on the balloons and streamers for prom. "So how are you holding up?" She suddenly asked in an effort to change the topic.

"I'm fine. I'm coping." Kayla answered vaguely. "And things with my dad are going well. We've gotten closer since the tragedy." She lied, knowing Paige was going to ask that question next and she didn't want to add to the girl's stress. "How about you? Did you finally tell your dad that you got into UPenn?"

Paige shook her head. "I'm still trying to keep that acceptance letter hidden." She admitted. "Honestly, you're the only person I've told about it so far so I would appreciate it if you kept your mouth shut for now. My dad hasn't seen that letter yet and last night he decided that I'm going there for college whether I got in or not. This is so frustrating." She said dejectedly.

"I get it." Kayla said, trying to comfort the girl. "But I also understand your dad's worry and fear of being so far away from you. You're the only family he has." She reminded her. "So he really won't even consider USC now?"

"Unless we move to California permanently I'm going to UPenn next year." Paige confirmed. "But the NLI from USC is still sitting on my desk waiting for my signature. I really don't want to give up that school just yet that's why I'm pushing myself to feel better."

"I'm so sorry Paige." Kayla said, not knowing what else to say. "But at least we'd be near each other. We get to hang out more often." She added, hoping spending time with her was enough to make Paige look forward to going to UPenn for college.

Paige gave the girl a faint smile. "There's that." She said before checking the time on her watch and standing up when she saw that it was almost four. "I gotta go. I have to swing by the Brew to pick up Emily." She explained apologetically, looking around to make sure she didn't forget anything. "I want to visit Jai's grave with her then I'll give her a ride to Philly before I leave for my flight."

"Paige..." Kayla began, looking up at the girl cautiously. "What are you doing?" She asked. "I mean... my sister's gone. You don't have to keep looking after Em. The promise you made to Jai... that you would look after Emily while she's away... it doesn't matter anymore. It's meaningless because my sister isn't coming back." She reminded Paige. "So what are you doing?"

Paige placed her hands inside the front pockets of her jeans and looked away, unable to meet Kayla's confused stare. The girl posed a similar question to that of her dad's last night and she isn't getting any closer to figuring out the answer as to why she's really sticking around. But...

"What if that promise hasn't been my entire reason for sticking around for a while now?" Paige asked hoarsely. "What if I told you that I forgot about the promise I made to Jai a long time ago? Even before she died." She continued, confused about everything that concerns Emily. "I don't even know if I did this for Jai in the first place or it's what I wanted to do the entire time subconsciously. I don't know if everything I did was self-serving. But if I indeed did it for my best friend, I don't know when I stopped doing it for her and began doing it for me. Or if maybe I'm still doing it for both of us as we speak. I really don't know what I'm doing anymore." She confessed, laughing dryly.

"My best friend is gone." Paige whispered, like she was trying to remind herself of the truth. "When Emily told me that Jai was coming back a part of me felt relieved. That finally I could go back to hating Emily again. That things could go back to the way they used to be. I'm the villain and Jai's the hero. But a bigger part of me felt disappointed. And in that moment I was disgusted with myself." She admitted brokenly. "Sometimes I can't help but think that I wished for this to happen subconsciously. Jai's gone and because of that I get to take care of Emily for as long as I want. And while I'm miserable that my best friend is dead..." She stopped, unable to put into words the thoughts running through her mind right now for she hated herself for even thinking about those things in the first place.

"What does it mean?" Paige asked helplessly. "Does that make me a horrible person and friend? Was I even a friend if this is the way I think and feel?" She added, looking at Kayla like the girl could somehow forgive her just by being Jai's sister.

"Paige you've been Jai's _best friend_ for years. Even before the two of you met Em. Don't start doubting that friendship now." Kayla said, trying to comfort the conflicted and guilt-ridden girl. "But when it comes to Em... you're the only one who can answer your questions." She answered truthfully. "All I know is I finally figured it out. Not everything. But... remember that prank I pulled on Em and Jai?"

"Yeah. What about it?" Paige asked warily.

"Well it wasn't a random prank. I did it for you because I saw how much you liked her back then. When you were still trying to decide whether to hide it or fight it. And I wanted to let you know that I'm on your side. I was trying to impress you and help you decide." Kayla confessed, knowing for certain that Paige still won't figure out her feelings unless she told the girl upfront. "Then you started calling her Sniffles and then that look was gone, replaced by hatred instead. So I thought you didn't need my help anymore because it finally went away. I just didn't know that you refused to say her name because all this time you've decided to do both. Hide it _and_ fight it." She said sympathetically.

"It wasn't until a few months ago that I understood. I saw that look again when we were having breakfast with her and my dad. Your face the day I pulled that prank. I saw it again right around the time you started calling Emily by her name. When you kept stealing glances at her when you thought no one was looking. That's when I realized that it was never gone. Only buried so deep that when it resurfaced you felt lost." Kayla continued. "You're the only one who can answer all your questions Paige. Because I think you know yourself better than anyone else. I just want you to be really careful once you figure things out. I don't want you to get hurt again."

"Thanks." Paige uttered, managing to give the girl a smile. Talking to Jai's sister helped a little. "Kayla..."

"This conversation never happened." Kayla interrupted, knowing what Paige was going to ask of her. "I'll see you in Philly tonight?"

Paige nodded. "I'll drop by before I leave for Virginia." She promised before heading for the door.

* * *

"Emily your usual customer is here." Colleen, one of Emily's co-workers at the Brew, informed the girl as she walked behind Emily who was at the moment in the middle of serving an old couple their tea and pastries. "Just like clockwork." She added, laughing in amusement when she saw the girl roll her eyes in exasperation.

"Thanks." Emily called after her co-worker before grabbing a menu and making her way outside. She headed straight for the brown-haired girl seated at her usual table at the far end corner and deposited the menu unceremoniously before speaking. "Either you order something or leave." Emily stated, staring at the girl expectantly. She didn't know why she even thought that Paige was going to listen to her when she said yesterday that it was the last time she was going to let the girl drive her to and from work. "I'm fine. I was fine when you drove me again to work earlier today and I'm still fine now. For the last time _stop checking up on me_."

"But I'm not here for you." Paige corrected, trying to worm her way out of being told to stop worrying about the girl. Even if her dad and Kayla told her to forget about her promise, she couldn't bring herself to listen to them. Not when she still didn't know exactly why she was sticking around. Who she was doing this for.

"_Really_." Emily uttered, obviously not believing a word Paige just said. "If you're not here for me then why are you here?" She asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I... am here... for coffee." Paige finally replied smugly.

"Coffee." Emily repeated. She uncrossed her arms and leaned her hand on the table as she moved closer to the girl who was staring up at her. "Paige I've _never_ seen you drink coffee or order anything for that matter the entire time you've been dropping by. Which happens to be everytime I have a shift. You just sit here until it's time to leave. So try again."

Paige reluctantly tore her eyes away from Emily's and studied the menu the girl brought with her. "A bottle of apple juice then." She ordered, looking up at Emily again as she handed the menu back to the girl.

Emily sighed and grabbed the menu, turning around to head inside and get Paige's order. She returned a few seconds later and wordlessly deposited the bottle of apple juice in front of the girl.

"Can I help you with anything else?" Emily asked reluctantly.

"As a matter of fact yes. Can you tell me what time your shift ends?" Paige asked as she twisted the cap off the bottle of her apple juice. "You said earlier that you're getting off by four. Well it's past four already." She reminded the girl.

"I was. But Kevin, my boss, asked me to stay for a few more hours. Vince can't come to work today so I decided to cover his shift." Emily explained. "If you have somewhere else to be you can leave. You don't have to wait for me. Like I kept telling you, I can walk home by myself."

"Um... okay. First, a little heads up wouldn't have hurt. You have my number. You could've called or texted." Paige began, toying with the bottle's cap. "Second, I don't mind waiting at all. I don't have anywhere else I need to be." She lied, thinking she can just bump her flight to Virginia at a later time since it's just an hour-long plane ride.

"I didn't tell you because I seem to remember that I made it perfectly clear yesterday and even earlier today that I'm walking home by myself." Emily argued. "I don't want you to just sit here doing nothing." She added. "I can take care of myself. You can leave."

"Did you forget what today is supposed to be?" Paige asked, confused by the girl's behavior. She was willing to leave Emily alone after today. Because today she was hoping that they could visit Jai's grave together.

"No. Of course I didn't. But I'm really busy right now. I'll just visit Jai's grave some other time." Emily answered casually.

"You weren't busy a while ago." Paige corrected the girl. "Kevin didn't force you to cover Vince's shift. You volunteered." She pointed out. When Emily didn't say anything she continued. "Fine. I'll go visit Jai's grave by myself. But you're still going to the event in Philly, right? I can give you a ride. What time does your next shift end?"

"I was thinking of skipping the event actually. I might be too tired once my shift's over." Emily explained.

Paige frowned, baffled by the girl's behavior. She knew Emily was just using her work as an excuse and she couldn't figure out why. "But..."

"Please just leave." Emily implored. She wasn't in the mood to explain her actions to Paige knowing the girl would think she's pitiful when she finds out the truth.

Paige studied Emily for a second before deciding to heed the girl's request. "Okay." She said, standing up and getting some cash to pay for her apple juice. She grabbed the bottle after she deposited the money on the table and with a final glance at Emily, Paige headed back to her father's car to drive to the cemetery.

* * *

Despite telling Paige earlier that she wasn't planning on going here today, Emily passed by a flower shop on her way home from the Brew and before she could change her mind, she bought a bouquet of flowers and decided to finally visit Jai tonight. Now she was making her way around the wide expanse of land, the unfamiliar surrounding making her progress slow. It was just past seven in the evening and while the streets of Rosewood was well-lighted around this time of night, the further she walked into the cemetery, the dimmer the street lights became until her path to Jai's grave was illuminated by the moonlight alone. She strained her ears for any unusual sounds but so far the place was eerily silent. _Well what did you expect? It's not like people go here at night_. She thought wryly, taking a deep breath before relaxing her grip on the bouquet of flowers she held in her hand. As she got closer to her girlfriend's grave, Emily thought about turning back but the faint sound of music beckoned her to come closer. She squinted her eyes, trying to see who was sitting in front of Jai's marker when the figure suddenly moved and she realized who it was.

"Paige?" Emily called out uncertainly. It's been three hours since the girl left the Brew and she didn't expect Paige to still be here.

Paige slightly twisted her body sideways so she can see behind her when she heard Emily's voice, relieved that the girl changed her mind and decided to visit Jai's grave today. "Hey." She said in greeting, grabbing her iPod to lower the volume of the music she was playing before looking up at the girl who was now standing next to her.

"What's with the Funky Town?" Emily asked curiously, referring to the music Paige was currently playing on her iPod as she sat next to the girl.

"It's sort of our jam." Paige answered, moving so Emily was sitting right in front of Jai's marker. "I've been playing it on repeat since I got here."

"Sounds like you've been here since you left the Brew this afternoon." Emily guessed. "Which begs the question... why are you still here?" She asked, placing the bouquet of flowers she brought with her on the left side of Jai's marker when she noticed that there were flowers on the other side.

"I was waiting for you." Paige admitted, glancing at the girl. When she left Emily earlier, she decided to take an even later flight to Virginia because she knew for certain that the girl was going to change her mind eventually and come here. "Those were here when I arrived. From Logan and Kayla." She supplied when she saw the girl studying the other flowers.

Emily nodded. "What if I didn't show up?" She asked, her eyes never leaving Jai's name on the marker.

Paige shrugged. "Then I'm going to stay here until the day's almost over." She answered, her gaze drifting to her best friend's name as well. "Even if there's no one inside I don't want to leave Jai alone on her birthday."

"I haven't been here since the funeral." Emily confessed guiltily. "I couldn't bring myself to come here because I feel as if going here means accepting Jai's really gone and I think she's still alive. I know I'm the only one who believes that. I know you think I'm pathetic for still refusing to believe what all of you believe. That she's dead. But one of us has to have hope. Because you all just gave up on her." She continued, unable to hide the bitterness and sadness she felt as she studied the flowers left there by Logan and Kayla.

"I don't think you're pathetic." Paige said softly, knowing it was futile to convince the girl to accept the reality right now. "But if that's the way you feel then what made you come here tonight?" She asked instead.

"Well I miss her so much and I just want to be able to talk to her. I realized this is where I can do that. Even if this place is where we buried a part of her, for some reason being here makes me feel closer to her." Emily explained. They sat wordlessly beside each other, the only sound coming from Paige's iPod, before she spoke up again. "Did she ever tell you how we first met?" She asked, glancing at the girl who was seated with her knees drawn to her chest.

Paige nodded. "Jai told me she was really smitten with you the moment she saw you." She revealed quietly. "It was actually amusing to see her get flustered for the first time especially over a girl."

"Jai? I can't imagine her getting flustered." Emily said, smiling faintly.

"That day she was." Paige insisted. "And when she finally came up to you she said the lamest, cheesiest pickup line I ever heard. She said, 'Where have you been? 'Coz..."

"I've been looking for you my entire life." They said at the same time.

"You heard that?" Emily asked, surprised. When Paige nodded, she shrugged. "I don't care what you think. I'm just glad she came up to me and said it. She made my day better. I was having a really bad day and the way she said it made me smile. She wasn't arrogant or overconfident. She came across as very sweet." She said, defending her girlfriend.

"So you don't think that pickup line is lame or cheesy at all?" Paige asked skeptically.

"Oh I do." Emily agreed. "But like I said, I didn't care because she made me smile with the way she said it." She repeated, smiling faintly at the memory. "I'm surprised she wanted to be with me actually. There are lots of girls who'd like to be her girlfriend back then."

Paige looked at Emily in disbelief. "What? Come on. Don't sell yourself short. Those girls don't even compare to you." She argued emphatically.

"Thanks. I guess." Emily added uncertainly, not knowing what to make of Paige's statement. She never did find out what the girl thought of her. For all she knew, Paige was just trying to be nice to her but in reality, the girl still thinks she was never good enough for Jai. "So how are you holding up?" She asked in an effort to change the subject.

"Okay." Paige answered vaguely.

"I'm sure you miss her." Emily prodded, trying to get the girl to open up to her.

"I do. She and Kayla were my only real friends. She's like my sister. _Was_ like my sister." Paige corrected herself. "Do you want me to leave?" She suddenly asked, confusing the girl. "You said you came here to talk to Jai. If you want some privacy I can just wait for you in the car." She offered.

"You don't mind?" Emily asked hesitantly.

"Not at all." Paige answered, taking her iPod and turning it off before getting up. "I'm parked beside the Magnolia tree near the east entrance." She informed the girl.

"I'll be there soon." Emily said, looking up at Paige gratefully.

"Take all the time you need." Paige insisted, managing to give Emily a faint smile. "It's been a while since you talked to her. I don't mind waiting." She reassured her.

"Are you going to Penn State Gen after?" Emily asked before Paige could leave her alone.

"Yeah but I won't be there long. I'm just dropping by to see Kayla. I have somewhere else I need to be tonight." Paige explained. "I can give you a ride there if you want to go."

"I don't think I'm strong enough to be there. The Gray Matter Foundation was one of Jai's dreams in our vision board." Emily revealed softly. "It's too much too soon."

"All the more reason to go and show your support to the Hayes." Paige reminded Emily. "And I know Jai would want you to be there when her dreams become a reality."

"Why do you always do that?" Emily asked, barely able to hide her frustration.

"Do what?" Paige inquired, puzzled.

Emily sighed. "Tell me to go when you're not going yourself. You did that at the funeral and now you're doing it again." She pointed out. "It's not fair. Why do I have to go when you're the one who believes she's dead?"

"Emily the only reason I'm not going is because I have to be somewhere else tonight." Paige explained patiently.

"Somewhere that's even more important than the event in honor of Jai?" Emily asked, looking at the girl in confusion. When Paige couldn't give her an answer, she looked away. "If you're not going then I'm not going." She said stubbornly as she stared at Jai's marker.

* * *

"We're so glad you still made it tonight Mr. and Mrs. Kipling." Kayla said in greeting, flashing a sincere smile at the elderly couple as she shook their hands. "This is Chiara. If you could just follow her inside, she will take you to your seats." She added, gesturing to the girl standing to her left. She followed the progress of the three people inside the spacious function room before looking behind her to grab her cousin's hand and check the time on his watch. It was already past ten in the evening and she was tired. She had been greeting guests since eight and all she wanted to do was sit in a corner and put her feet up. She was tired, hungry and thirsty. But most of all she was disappointed. Emily didn't attend the event and for some reason, she had this gut feeling that that was the reason Paige was a no-show as well. After all, the only reason Paige promised her earlier that she was going to drop by tonight was because she was going to give Emily a ride.

"Why the long face?" Kayla looked to her right in surprise when she heard Paige's voice, unable to believe what she was seeing until the two girls were standing right in front of her.

"I know we're really late but we still made it, right?" Paige continued in greeting as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Judging from the number of cars parked outside this place I think it's safe to say that this event is a huge success thanks to you and Logan. Jai would be so happy." She said proudly, waiting for Kayla to say something but the girl just stared at them in open-mouthed shock.

Kayla knew her mouth was probably hanging open and she was standing there looking like an idiot. She felt her jaw drop the second her eyes landed on Paige earlier, her mind unable to process the fact that the girl who swore she would never wear a dress was now standing in front of her in a maroon cap-sleeved evening dress that brought out the girl's brown eyes and accentuated her curves. "Uh." She uttered, at a loss as she continued to stare at the gorgeous girl standing in front of her.

Emily bit back a smile and moved to remind Jai's sister that she's there as well. "It's my fault we're late. I pulled a double shift at the Brew so we left Rosewood later than expected." She explained apologetically. "But you and Logan did a great job with this Kayla. Paige's right. Jai would be so happy." She said before hugging the speechless girl. "Judging from your reaction I'm guessing you're glad Paige decided to stay." Emily whispered teasingly before pulling away.

"Wait, you're staying?" Kayla asked like Paige's current attire wasn't screaming black tie event. When the girl nodded anyway, she finally looked at Emily and smiled. "Sorry. I forgot my manners." She said ruefully. "Thanks for still coming tonight Em. It means a lot. My dad insisted that you sit with us so Eugene here is going to show you to our table." Kayla added, gesturing to the tall guy standing to her left.

"What about Paige?" Emily asked, glancing at the girl uncertainly. She didn't want to leave Paige alone when she was the one who insisted that they go together.

"I'm sure dad won't mind adding another person to our table." Kayla said confidently. "I just need to talk to her for a bit." She explained.

"I'll be right behind you." Paige promised when Emily seemed reluctant to go inside without her.

Once Emily and Eugene were gone, Kayla gestured for Warren, her cousin, to take over for her while she took Paige to a corner, looking around to make sure that they weren't within hearing distance before focusing her attention to the girl who was now looking at her guiltily.

"Let me explain." Paige said before Kayla could say anything but the girl refused to let her speak first.

"What are you still doing here?!" Kayla whispered incredulously. "It's late that's why I thought you weren't gonna show up. But then not only did you show up, you're staying too?! Shouldn't you be in Virginia by now?"

"Emily made me realize that this is more important." Paige answered, like that sentence alone could explain why she decided to cancel her flight altogether and even wore a dress fit for a black tie event.

"What's more important? The event or Emily?" Kayla asked wryly. "Paige you can't put your life on hold for her."

"I'm not." Paige said hurriedly. "I just know which is more important. Emily needed me tonight. There will be other triathlons I can join next time." She told Kayla reassuringly. "Besides. I haven't had enough rest and sleep for the past few weeks to be ready for this thing so I won't be able to place in the top twenty. There's an after dark 21K run next weekend and I joined that." Paige finally revealed so that the girl will know that she's still serious about being a tri-athlete. "I don't plan on going to prom anyway so I decided to join a marathon instead."

Kayla shook her head, disappointed. "Paige you've been preparing for tomorrow's event for months. Not to mention your coaches also helped you train for it. You should've thought of them before deciding to forego that competition." She reminded the girl quietly.

"Once they find out the reason I'm sure they'll understand." Paige insisted. "Kayla I'm not here solely for Emily. Like I said earlier she made me realize that this is more important than that triathlon in Virginia."

"You and I both know that if Jai was here she won't let you miss that competition." Kayla argued.

"Kayla if Jai was here we wouldn't be arguing about this at all. Because the Gray Matter Foundation doesn't exist. At least not yet." Paige reminded the girl miserably. "I don't regret deciding not to go to Virginia so I could be here with you, and Logan, and Emily, and everyone else who came here tonight because they believe in my best friend's vision." She said sincerely. "Now let's go inside. Let your cousin take over for you. Come on. Don't let me go in there by myself while I'm wearing this thing." Paige added, trying to improve Kayla's mood.

When Kayla finally nodded, Paige watched the girl go to Warren to tell her cousin quickly that they're heading inside. She groaned when she saw Kayla's expression as the girl walked back to her.

"Yes. I know I said I wasn't going to wear a dress ever." Paige said before Kayla could open her mouth to speak. "Believe me. Emily and I had a lengthy argument about this dress. Don't you dare take a picture of me wearing this thing or I swear I will torture you until you tell me who your crush is." She warned the girl as they made their way inside the function room.

Kayla laughed. "You've got yourself a deal." She agreed readily. "Although I have to say... _you look so pretty_." Kayla added sweetly, laughing again when Paige frowned at her teasing. She studied the girl out of the corner of her eye as she continued to navigate her way around the room, thinking that calling Paige pretty was an understatement. _I promised I wasn't going to take a photo of Paige tonight... but that doesn't mean I can't ask someone else to do it for me_. She thought to herself, grinning mischievously just as they reached their table.

* * *

_Ding! Dong!_

Emily slowly brought up her hand to her face to shield her eyes from the early morning rays of the sun that entered her room on a Saturday morning. She and Paige got home from Philadelphia way past midnight and now for some reason she felt sluggish. Emily tried to open her eyes but her lids felt heavy so she turned her body sideways instead, turning her back to the windows in her room to try and go back to sleep when she heard the doorbell ring again. That was the sound that woke her up. She realized hazily. Emily tried to ignore the sound but it was followed by a persistent knocking on her front door and she forced herself to get up when she heard the doorbell ring for the third time. She was home alone for the weekend so she had no choice but to answer the door in case the package her mom was waiting for arrived today.

"I'm coming!" Emily called out when she heard the doorbell ring for the fourth time, surprised when she heard that her voice was raspy. She peeked in the eyehole once she reached the door and reluctantly opened it. "Don't you sleep?" She asked Paige warily.

"I did. This morning. But it's already three in the afternoon." Paige pointed out.

"What?!" Emily exclaimed disbelievingly. "It can't be three." She argued, grabbing Paige's hand to check the time on the girl's watch and groaning when she saw that Paige wasn't lying. She slept through the day.

"Hey you're burning up!" Paige cried out in alarm, her eyes widening when Emily's skin touched hers. "Are you okay?" She asked worriedly. "You don't look so good." Paige said when she finally had the chance to study the girl closely.

"Gee. Thanks." Emily said wryly. "I'm fine. Just coming down with something. I think." She managed to say before coughing.

"Emily you're burning up." Paige pointed out. "You already came down with something."

"It's nothing." Emily insisted, coughing once again.

"It's not nothing! We need to get you to the hospital. Have you checked out." Paige said, panicking.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Will you calm down? It's probably just a fever. I'll just sleep it off." She told Paige reassuringly.

"I knew you were coming down with something last night!" Paige said accusingly. "You should've listened to me when I said I was taking you home!"

"We just got there Paige. I didn't want to leave just because I sneezed several times." Emily explained weakly.

"This is what happens when you push yourself too hard. You've been keeping yourself busy ever since the funeral so now your body's telling you to slow down." Paige reprimanded the girl. "What?" She asked when she saw the look Emily gave her just now. Like the girl was terrified for some reason.

Emily shook her head. "Nothing." She lied, looking away. Just now, Paige being mad at her for getting sick, and something the girl said in passing last night, reminded her that Jai's best friend has hated her for years. And that she still probably does because something as strong as hate doesn't just go away. And she's scared to see that side of Paige again now that Jai isn't around. "What are you doing here?" She asked instead.

"Oh. Yeah. I, uh, just came from the printer and the party goods store." Paige reported. "The guy at the printer said we can pick up the streamers Thursday afternoon. The girl at the party goods store said that the balloon arrangements can be delivered by Friday night or Saturday morning. Depends on when we want to set up those arrangements at the venue." She continued.

"You couldn't have just called or texted to tell me that? You had to ring my doorbell several times and pound on my front door like there was no tomorrow?" Emily asked, annoyed.

Paige shrugged. "I was in the neighborhood so I decided to tell it to you personally. And I wanted to see how you were doing because you kept sneezing last night I..."

"Was tempted to start calling me Sniffles again. Yeah I remember what you said." Emily interjected hoarsely.

"I was worried it was going to get worse." Paige corrected, studying Emily anxiously. "I was just kidding last night. I told you I was done calling you Sniffles. Will you at least let me in?" She asked gently.

Emily looked at Paige with tired eyes, finally deciding to move to let the girl inside her house when she felt like she was going to collapse from exhaustion.

"Where's your mom?" Paige asked, turning around to face Emily once she heard the girl close the door behind her.

"She went to Fort Hood to visit my dad. She's not coming back until tomorrow night." Emily answered, walking past Paige to lead the way.

"And your friends?" Paige inquired, studying the girl in front of her worriedly. Emily looked like she was about to faint any second now and Paige needed to get Emily to sit or lie down before that happens.

"Spencer's away for an interschool debate. Hanna and Aria are busy running last minute errands for the prom committee." Emily supplied as she led the way to the kitchen.

"You should lie down." Paige blurted out, catching up to the girl and grabbing Emily's arm to stop her. "You're really burning up." She added when she brought the back of her hand to Emily's forehead to check the girl's temperature. "Go back to bed. You said you just woke up so you haven't eaten anything all day. I'll make you something then I'll take it to your room." Paige offered. "Either you let me fix you something and stay until one of your friends is free to look after you or I'm taking you to the hospital to get checked out whether you like it or not."

Emily nodded, too tired to argue with Paige. She moved to head upstairs but turned around at the last second. "I was wrong when I said you and Jai have nothing in common." She said softly.

Paige furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

"You two worry about me so much. If she was here she'd suggest rushing me to the hospital too. And something tells me if I let you you'd terrorize the hospital staff for not paying attention to me once we get there, like she did this one time. I had to remind her that there are other patients there who are more important because they probably have it worse than me." Emily explained hoarsely.

"That may be true. But you're important to her." Paige reminded the girl.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. She told me that. That I was more important. For her I was." She admitted, smiling sadly at the memory. "Just now. It's like I was talking to Jai. Only difference is you bit my head off for getting sick."

Paige swallowed hard. "Go back to bed. I'll be there soon with some food and medicine." She said calmly.

When she heard the door to Emily's room close, Paige took out her phone and hurriedly sent a text message to Spencer as she made her way to the kitchen, asking for either Hanna or Aria's number so she can ask one of them to trade places with her. Look after Emily while she takes over for one of them in running errands for the prom committee. Right now it was clear that Emily needed only three people in her life to be there for her. Her parents, her friends, and Jai. And she can't be any of them.

* * *

"What's this?" Emily asked as she stared at the green concoction in the soup bowl Paige handed to her.

"It's something Gwen makes for me whenever I get sick. It's a vegetable soup." Paige explained, looking around Emily's room for a chair she can sit on.

"So where's the vegetable?" Emily asked, taking the spoon and stirring the liquid slowly.

"_Vegetables_." Paige corrected as she grabbed the chair from Emily's study table and dragged it next to the girl's bed. "And you can't distinguish them because I blended them together."

"What's in this thing?" Emily inquired, scrunching her face in disgust.

"It's not a _thing_ it's a soup!" Paige exclaimed indignantly. "Will you just start eating it?"

"But it looks inedible." Emily commented, looking at the soup again.

"It's not. I tasted it." Paige said reassuringly. "I'm not gonna kill you." She added when she saw Emily's dubious look.

"You hate me. I wouldn't put it past you." Emily shot back wryly before deciding to taste Paige's cooking.

Paige rolled her eyes, her gaze landing on the bedside table and she mentally hit herself for forgetting. "Just eat it." She ordered before getting up. "I'm going back downstairs. I forgot the medicine." She said sheepishly before turning her back and exiting Emily's room.

* * *

"Jai makes a better soup than you." Emily said once Paige came back with a glass of water.

"And yet you finished the entire bowl." Paige pointed out when she saw the now empty bowl on the girl's bedside table.

"I just don't want to hurt your feelings." Emily retorted.

"Right. Are you sure it's not because you're hungry?" Paige asked as she walked closer to the girl's bed.

Emily shrugged. "Maybe." She answered, coughing once.

"Well now that you've eaten something you can drink this." Paige said, handing the medicine and the glass of water to the girl sitting on the bed.

"I don't like medicines." Emily confessed, making a face.

"You need to get better." Paige reminded the girl. "We need to get your fever down."

Emily shook her head. "No. I don't want to." She said adamantly.

"What? Why?" Paige asked, lowering the medicine and the glass of water on the bedside table before looking at Emily, confused.

"I want to see Jai." Emily admitted, looking away.

"So you want to get your fever up. You want to see her so much you're willing to get delirious?" Paige asked incredulously.

"I miss her." Emily whispered hoarsely. She was starting to shiver and she looked around her bed to find her comforter.

Paige got up. "I know you do. But it's not healthy. You need to take your mind off her." She told the girl as she handed Emily the comforter that was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"She's still alive. I know it." Emily insisted, taking the comforter and slowly wrapping it around her shoulders.

"You attended her funeral. Remember?" Paige pointed out patiently.

"Yeah. I remember. You forced me to go and then you didn't show up." Emily reminded Paige bitterly. "I'm still mad at you for that. Even if you told me it was because you're mad at Jai." She continued, looking at the girl who now refused to meet her eyes. "Are you still mad at her?"

"No." Paige answered, her eyes never leaving the hardwood floors of Emily's room.

Emily studied Paige closely. "You suck at lying too. Just like my girlfriend." She added, not knowing that her constant comparison was hurting the girl seated next to her. "You're really mad at her. Why?" She asked, confused. "Is it because you're stuck with me now?"

Paige shook her head. "No. I don't think I'm stuck with you." She said, looking at Emily. _How could she think that?_

"Then why?" Emily persisted, wanting to know the reason why Jai's best friend still couldn't let go of her anger.

"It's complicated." Paige answered vaguely.

"I'm too weak to move. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." Emily pointed out, coughing once again.

Paige stood up. "Drink your medicine." She instructed quietly, refusing to talk about what's really going on with her. "You need to rest. I called Hanna and she's going to be here soon. In the meantime I'll be downstairs if you need anything else." Paige added before heading for the door.

"You need to forgive Jai." Emily called out weakly after Paige. "None of us wanted this to happen. It's not like she wanted to die and leave you. Stop being mad at her for abandoning you." She reprimanded gently.

Paige scoffed. "I'm mad at her because she left you. Because we made that stupid promise to look after each other while she was in London and now she's not coming back." She confessed bitterly, her hand tightly gripping the doorknob. "What are we supposed to do now, huh?" She asked, her back still turned to the sick girl. "I don't even know why I'm still here." Paige continued, finally turning around. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore." She said miserably.

"You're confused." Emily said, finally understanding why the girl was so angry.

"If I stuck around, a part of me would always think... _am I doing this because of the promise I made?_" Paige confessed, running a hand warily through her hair. "But I can't just start ignoring you." She said, defeated.

"Then don't." Emily said hoarsely. She didn't want Paige to go back to being mean to her. Not when Jai's not around to tell the girl to stop. "Don't ignore me. Stick around. Jai connects us. She brought us together. We can be friends." She insisted.

Paige shook her head sadly. "No. We really can't." She uttered, looking at Emily miserably before leaving the room.

* * *

"Aria do you have a change for fifty?" Emily asked, handing the money to the girl on her left.

On Wednesday afternoon, she, along with her three friends, was currently seated behind a long table in the hallway, selling the remaining tickets for prom this Saturday. She had to spend the rest of her weekend in bed, with her friends taking turns looking after her and keeping her company until her mom arrived on Sunday night. She was feeling better. But unfortunately she missed school last Monday because her throat still felt sore and she still had a slight fever so her mom told her to rest instead.

"Here." Aria said, giving five ten-dollar bills to Emily before taking the fifty and returning her attention to the student she was selling tickets to.

"Thanks." Emily said, smiling at her friend and handing two ten-dollar bills to the student standing in front of her. She returned the rest of the money in the cash box before looking at the next student in line.

"Two tickets please." A girl with wavy blonde hair and emerald green eyes said, smiling at Emily as she handed two one-hundred dollar bills.

"Sign here." Emily said, indicating the clipboard in front of her. "And write the name of your date as well." She added as she took the tickets Spencer was handing to her. She was about to give the tickets to the girl and take the money when she stopped. "Um. I'm flattered... Daphne..." Emily began, reading the girl's name on the clipboard. "But I would have to say no. I'm not going to prom." She explained, looking up at the girl and giving her a polite smile.

Daphne shrugged. "Can't blame a girl for trying." She said, smiling back. "Just one ticket then."

Emily took the hundred dollar bill and gave the girl her ticket and the change. "Thanks." She said, not knowing what else to say. When the girl was gone and there was no one else approaching the table, she turned the clipboard to face her and drew a line across her name. "Don't start." She suddenly said when she felt her friends' eyes on her. "I don't want to go to prom."

"Em we don't mind going stag with you." Spencer said from her right. "We just want you to be there with us. Prom is like a rite of passage. You shouldn't miss it."

"Thanks for the offer." Emily said sincerely. "But I don't want to go stag because going stag would mean spending the rest of the night saying no when girls come up to me and ask me to dance."

"But you're in the running for prom queen." Hanna reminded her friend from beside Aria.

"So are you." Emily told the girl. "And I've been campaigning for you to win." She added, smiling at her friend. "You deserve to be crowned prom queen Hanna. Don't worry about me. Just because I'm not going doesn't mean you all have to miss it too."

"Fine. But we're spending our after prom party with you." Aria insisted. "After prom we're going to your house for a special triple play."

"I'd like that." Emily admitted, smiling at her friends sincerely. Days like this made her appreciate the three people sitting with her right now.

"Wait. Since we're holding it at Emily's does that mean she's 'it'?" Hanna asked hopefully.

"No. You're still 'it'." Spencer answered, making Hanna frown.

"No fair!" Hanna protested, getting ready to argue her case to her friends.

Emily tuned out the rest of the conversation when her eyes landed on the silver and black ticket Daphne wanted to buy for her. The theme of this year's prom was a 15th century masquerade and she was really looking forward to going. _With Jai_. She thought to herself when her hand subconsciously made its way to the locket on her necklace. _I wanted to go to prom with Jai_. She thought miserably.

* * *

_Stay out of it, Paige. It's none of your business_.

_None of your business._

Paige repeated to herself as she stared at the contents of her locker absentmindedly. She had been standing there for a while now... long enough to see the blonde girl come up to Emily and leave with a disappointed expression. It doesn't take a genius to understand that the girl asked Emily to prom and got shot down. But it also doesn't take rocket science to know that Emily really wanted to go to prom. She just needed a little more convincing.

_Paige you can't put your life on hold for her_.

The words Kayla said came back when Paige saw the flyer for the after dark 21K run that she hung on the back of her locker door. She already missed the triathlon in Virginia last weekend. She couldn't afford to miss this one. She needed to keep improving her times.

_It's none of your business_.

* * *

Armed with a bowl of butter-flavored popcorn, Emily marched into the living room on Saturday night wearing her favorite sleepwear (a white, sleeveless, loose shirt with a faded design on the front and purple sweatpants) and settled in front of the TV, ready to while the night away. She checked her phone for any messages and smiled when she read the text her friends sent her. She hurriedly typed a reply, telling them to enjoy prom for her and that she'll see them later, before grabbing the remote control and hitting the power button. She was in the middle of searching for a good movie on cable when she heard a sharp knock on the kitchen door. Her mom was back in Fort Hood for the weekend so she had no choice but to see who it was. Turning off the TV, Emily reluctantly made her way back to the kitchen, all the while wondering why the person disturbing her didn't use the front door.

"Paige?" Emily uttered once she opened the door and saw the girl standing in her backyard dressed in running gear.

"Hey." Paige said in greeting, waving her right hand awkwardly as she bounced on the heels of her feet. _So far, so good_.

"What are you doing here?" Emily asked, confused. "You're not planning on dragging me to join you in that after dark marathon are you? Because I'm not prepared to run twenty-one kilometers tonight."

Paige shook her head. "No. I, uh... decided not to go so I could take you to prom instead. Hear me out." She added hurriedly when she saw that Emily was about to protest. "I know how much you were looking forward to this day. And I know deep down even if you say it's fine, it's not. I can tell. Don't ask me how. I just can. I can tell how much you want to go to prom."

Emily sighed. "Paige... I'm not really in the mood." She protested weakly.

"_I'm_ not in the mood. You, on the other hand, have been lying to everyone. Most of all to yourself. I know you want to go to prom. And you should. This is supposed to be your night. You shouldn't miss it. Even if Jai isn't around anymore. Because I know she wouldn't want you to miss it. So will you let me take you to prom? I know I offered before and you said no. But this time I'm asking. If it's me and not some other girl who you'd feel guilty to say no to when she asks you to dance, will you consider going to prom? I won't ask for a slow dance." Paige promised.

"You don't get it. I don't want to be seen with anyone else in that prom. I don't want to give anyone the wrong impression that I've moved on. Or that I want to." Emily explained, trying to fight back her tears.

"Who said anything about going to the school prom?" Paige asked innocently. "I know you don't want to be seen going as someone else's date. Especially if that someone is me. Your girlfriend's best friend. But I also know how excited you were to go to prom. Because it wasn't too long ago that you tricked me into shopping for a dress when this night was still months away." She reminded the girl lightly. "So I came up with a solution. I figured I'd bring prom to you instead." She finally confessed. "Will you let me take you to an alternate prom?"

"I don't know... do I have to change?" Emily asked, finally admitting to herself that Paige was right. "I'm not exactly dressed for the occasion." She added, gesturing to her sleepwear.

"Neither am I." Paige said wryly, pointing to her running gear. "But you decide. You can wear your dress and I can change into something more presentable, or you can keep wearing your shirt and sweatpants and I won't change out of my running gear." She suggested.

"It doesn't feel right to wear the dress I bought for Jai." Emily admitted quietly.

Paige nodded, accepting Emily's choice. "Sweatpants and running gear it is then." She declared.

"Where's this prom of yours anyway?" Emily asked suspiciously.

"It's right outside." Paige answered, taking Emily's hand and leading the girl to her own backyard. "It's sort of a last minute decision and I'm not exactly an artist so I would have to apologize for its lameness." She said as she watched Emily study her makeshift prom setting.

Emily looked around her and couldn't help but smile when she saw the hastily setup venue. Paige did her own version of the masquerade theme in Emily's backyard. On the ground were several silver, gold, and purple-colored balloons and on the emerald cedar trees lining the fence, Paige hung silver and gold curling ribbons. Emily took a small step forward and saw that the girl brought with her a small portable table covered with a black table cloth with gold lining to serve as the food and drinks table. She looked to her right and saw that her own garden table was now covered with an identical table cloth and on top of it were several candles on candelabras to create the mood of a 15th century masquerade ball.

"That's the real thing." Paige admitted when she saw Emily studying the streamer she hung on the wooden fence behind the garden table. "I asked someone from the prom committee to lend me one of the banners we had made from the printer. It's not like they're going to miss it. She took the one that was supposed to be hung in front of the faculty room."

"She?" Emily uttered, turning to look at Paige in amusement. "Let me guess. You used to hang out with her too."

Paige shrugged. "We went out once but it didn't go anywhere." She explained. "Anyway. We needed a backdrop for the photo op later and like I said, I'm no artist. Nor am I a miracle worker. I can't exactly recreate in three hours the backdrop the art club made for prom in three months."

"There's a photo op?" Emily asked, smiling curiously.

"It's not compulsory." Paige said hurriedly. "It's for just in case you want to."

"How did you do all of this without me noticing? I walked in and out of the kitchen several times." Emily pointed out.

Paige shrugged. "I'm used to moving around stealthily." She answered vaguely. "Now I know there's no band or deejay. But I brought a portable sound system for my iPod so this way, we get to choose the music. Or iTunes Genius could." Paige added as she walked over to Emily's garden table where she set up her iPod and pressed play. "So first things first. Here." She said, approaching Emily just as a lively tune came on the speakers and handing the girl a prom ticket she bought from their actual prom. "She insisted that I buy tickets in exchange for letting me borrow the streamer." Paige admitted. "But I figured I could use it for our prom. Come on. Let's go register so we can start this thing." She said, offering her arm for Emily to take and leading the girl to another table she set up a few steps away.

Paige gestured for the girl to write her name on the piece of paper she taped to the surface of the table before taking Emily's ticket and tearing it along the perforation. She did the same to her own prom ticket once she was done registering and handed Emily a mask.

"Let's go to prom." Paige said, putting on her mask and waiting for Emily to do the same. When the girl finally did, Paige led the way back to Emily's garden, moving in time to the music she put on earlier to give the illusion that they were arriving with things already in full swing. She felt stupid but she wanted Emily to have fun tonight. "Come on. Don't make me dance by myself." Paige coaxed as she put her hands up in the air.

Emily laughed when Paige began raising the roof and reluctantly started to sway in time to the music, letting herself loose and dancing alongside the girl. "We look ridiculous." She commented while still moving in time to the upbeat sound. "And this music isn't even fit for a masquerade."

"Hey you're the one who didn't want to change into a more decent attire." Paige reminded the girl while trying to do a moonwalk. "And my music is way better than what masquerade music is supposed to be."

"Whatever. Good thing you brought these masks. Saves us from embarrassing ourselves further. Because with your moves? I think we'd look even more ridiculous if we actually changed into a more decent attire." Emily said teasingly.

"Look around you. It's just us Emily. Nobody cares." Paige pointed out as she continued to execute ridiculous dance moves that made Emily laugh again. She felt her lips break into a smile. _Seeing Emily finally having fun was definitely worth missing that marathon_.

* * *

"At least the punch isn't spiked." Emily said before she took a sip of her drink. "If this is even punch." She added, making a face when she tasted the juice.

"Four seasons." Paige confessed before taking a sip of her juice.

After a few more minutes of dancing to upbeat sounds, they both decided to take a breather and just listen to the music while digging in to the food Paige brought with her. Now they were seated on the chairs around Emily's garden table, sharing a meal of vegetable and fruit platters as appetizers, chicken stuffed with macadamia and camembert for the main course and dark chocolate mousse for dessert.

"Well the food is way better." Emily admitted, looking at the lavish spread between them.

"Thank you." Paige said, leaning forward to dip a bite-sized celery stick before eating it.

"Gwen made these didn't she?" Emily asked, her eyes twinkling in amusement. "I've tasted your cooking. You couldn't have made these."

"I helped!" Paige exclaimed indignantly.

"What did you contribute?" Emily challenged, fixing the mask covering her eyes.

"I... opened the chips." Paige answered proudly.

Emily looked around the table, confused. "You opened the chips." She repeated slowly.

"Hey that takes hard work! If you don't open it carefully the chips end up smushed or it explodes all over the place!" Paige argued.

Emily nodded. "True." She agreed. "So where are these chips?" She inquired, trying to keep a straight face.

Paige cringed. "Funny story actually." She began, toying with the fork she was using to eat her chicken. "I was carrying everything to the car. And the chips were on top of the pile. And then this dog came running past me."

"So now there's a dog." Emily uttered, obviously not believing the girl's story.

"Yeah. It was big. And black. Like a German Shepherd." Paige added. "And it ran past me and I faltered. But I was able to balance myself at the last minute. And then the weirdest thing just happened. The Tupperware filled with chips tilted and as it turns out the cover wasn't intact so... there were chips everywhere. It was crazy. I'm telling you. You should've seen it." She said, shaking her head in disappointment.

"You ate it all didn't you? Once you opened the bag?" Emily guessed, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Paige sighed. "You don't understand. It was _so_ good." She admitted, making Emily laugh out loud.

"Slow song." Emily suddenly said when she heard the music. She glanced at Paige thoughtfully and stood up. "One dance?"

Paige looked up at Emily in surprise, her gaze shifting to the girl's outstretched hand. She didn't expect Emily to ask her to dance. In fact, she was counting on it. She didn't know if she could dance so close to the girl while fighting the overwhelming urge to kiss her. Even in old shirt and sweatpants, Paige thought Emily never looked more beautiful.

"Uh. We can just let this one pass." Paige said nervously when she heard the song. _Out of my league. Perfect. The universe is mocking me_.

"Come on. Don't make me dance by myself." Emily coaxed, inclining her head to the side and waiting for Paige to take her hand. "Just one dance." She promised.

_...'Cause she's all that I see and she's all that I need_

_And I'm out of my league once again..._

Paige sighed and finally took Emily's outstretched hand. She stood up and let the girl lead her to the middle of the garden, all the while praying that her hand wouldn't start sweating. Once Emily placed her arms around Paige's neck, she nervously placed her hands on Emily's waist and moved closer, sure that the girl could hear her heart beating so fast. They began to slowly sway in time to the music and Paige chose to look past the girl for fear that Emily will see her emotions written all over her face.

_...It's her hair and her eyes today..._

"What are you thinking?" Emily asked in an effort to make conversation.

..._That just simply take me away..._

"I was thinking..." Paige began, closing her eyes in anguish. "That I forgot to ask... how you're feeling. You were asleep when Hanna arrived last Saturday so I decided to leave without saying goodbye. I figured you needed to rest."

_...And the feeling that I'm falling further in love makes me shiver, but in a good way..._

"I missed school last Monday but it's been a week so I'm feeling much better." Emily answered reassuringly.

_...All the times I have sat and stared_

_As she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair..._

"Good." Paige uttered, trying to get her mind to function while Emily was standing this close to her. "That's good to hear. You really had me worried." She admitted hoarsely.

"I never got to thank you for that. For looking after me and calling my friends. Staying until one of them came over. Thank you." Emily said sincerely.

_...As she purses her lips, bats her eyes_

_And she plays with me sitting there slack-jawed and nothing to say..._

"Don't mention it." Paige said, feeling herself blush. "I'm just glad you're feeling better."

...'_Cause I love her with all that I am..._

"Thanks for tonight." Emily whispered, making Paige look into the girl's eyes.

_...And my voice shakes along with my hands..._

_Thank me with a kiss_. Paige thought as she held Emily's gaze. Before her brain could register what was happening, she saw Emily give her a soft smile and then leaned forward, depositing a gentle kiss on her cheek before pulling away.

Paige's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What was that for?" She asked, her heart pounding wildly and her skin tingling at the feel of Emily's lips on her cheek just now.

...'_Cause it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea_

_But I'd rather be here than on land..._

Emily gave the surprised girl a sweet smile. "You said to thank you with a kiss." She answered, making Paige realize that she said those words out loud. "I know you keep insisting we're not but... you've been such a good friend to me lately." She admitted before closing the distance between them and resting her head on Paige's shoulder. "So thank you." Emily said sincerely.

They stayed like that for a while. Just slowly swaying in time to the music when Paige felt Emily's tears on her neck. Instinctively, she held Emily closer to her.

_...Yes she's all that I see and she's all that I need..._

"I miss her too." Paige said consolingly, reminded that no matter how many times she made the girl laugh tonight, the only person who could take Emily's pain away was Jai.

..._And I'm out of my league once again..._

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Paige asked, handing Emily a tissue when she saw the girl wipe her eyes with the back of her hand. She took the mask Emily was holding in her hand and removed the one she was wearing as well.

Emily took the tissue Paige was offering to her and nodded. "Yeah. Sorry..."

"Don't apologize." Paige interrupted. "I understand. I miss her too."

"I didn't mean to put an end to our dance." Emily explained. "It's just that I remembered that Jai used to tell me that she loves it when we stand close to each other. 'Coz the top of my head ends up under her nose and she gets to smell my hair everytime." She continued miserably. "You think she would've like the dress?"

"Yeah. I think she'd be speechless right about now." Paige answered honestly.

"She didn't even get to see it." Emily said as she tried to fight back her tears. "She promised she'd be back in time for prom. I still keep waiting for her to arrive. Like any second now she's going to knock on my door and tell me she was just trying to make some sort of grand entrance. I keep waiting but the night's almost over." She whispered dejectedly. "I just want her back. I'd give up anything just to see her again."

"I'm so sorry you're hurting this much." Paige said, looking at the girl helplessly. "I wish I was the one who boarded that plane so she'd be here with you instead of me." She added, making Emily look at her in alarm.

"Paige don't say that." Emily reprimanded the girl.

"I just don't want to see you so sad." Paige explained. "And it's not like anyone's going to miss me. Jai's death. It affected a lot of people. I don't think my death will cause this much pain to others." She admitted quietly.

"It'll affect me." Emily reminded her.

Paige rolled her eyes. "If I left before we even had a chance to spend time together, I think you'd hardly notice that I was gone." She pointed out.

Emily shook her head. "I'd notice." She insisted. "'Coz I'd have no one to race against every afternoon to see who could get to Jai faster."

"Right." Paige uttered, remembering the days when things were so much simpler. "You have to admit though... I won most of the time."

"Yeah but I got Jai to side with me _all_ the time." Emily said smugly.

Paige smiled. "That she did." She admitted. She studied Emily for a second before speaking again. "I understand though."

"Understand what?" Emily asked, confused.

"The need to protect you." Paige answered truthfully. "For some reason you make other people want to protect you."

Emily inclined her head to the side. "Other people like you?" She asked, expecting the girl to react violently.

"Other people like me." Paige admitted, the intensity of her gaze making Emily feel flustered instead.

"Well I can't take all the credit. I went to this store once and they were selling these damsel in distress potions. I bought the entire stock. I've been drinking one everyday since then." Emily whispered conspiratorially in an effort to lighten the mood.

"I see. Well I'll let you in on a secret." Paige said, beckoning for Emily to come closer. "After you left I went inside that same store and bought their entire stock of the counterspell. I'm practically immune to your charms." She revealed, going along with the joke.

"Not even a little bit affected?" Emily asked teasingly.

"Well I _do_ have to drink two bottles everyday to ward off your _beguiling_ smile and I'm running out of supply. So who knows? Maybe one of these days I just might find myself falling for you." Paige said flippantly before realizing what she just said.

Emily cleared her throat, trying to fill the awkward silence that followed. "I'm going to the bathroom for a sec." She said, getting up.

"Okay." Paige said, standing up the same time Emily did.

"You need to go to the bathroom too?" Emily asked, staring at Paige in surprise.

"What?" Paige asked, confused.

"You stood up." Emily pointed out.

"Oh. Yeah." Paige uttered, feeling her cheeks flush in embarrassment. "Uh, no. I'm not going to the bathroom. I was actually..." She trailed off, looking around them for an excuse before deciding to take her empty plastic cup from the table. "Going to grab a refill." She continued, relieved.

"Oh. Can you get one for me too?" Emily asked, smiling at the girl.

"Yeah. Of course." Paige answered, taking Emily's cup as well.

"Thanks. I'll be back in a sec." Emily promised before heading inside her house.

Paige watched the girl's retreating back, feeling like an idiot. _You're not on a date, Paige. So stop acting like she's your date. Emily's mourning and you're flirting. Get a grip._

* * *

"Are you sure you're not forgetting anything else?" Emily asked, looking around them to check if Paige got everything she needed.

After spending a few more minutes talking, Paige decided to call it a night and Emily agreed, saying her friends were coming over for a special triple play and she didn't want to be too tired when they arrive. She and Paige took turns loading everything back into the Buick Encore despite the girl's insistence that she was fine cleaning up by herself.

"Yeah. I just need to take that thing down and I'll be on my way." Paige said, pointing to the streamer that was still hanging on the wooden fence and making her way towards it.

"Wait. We forgot to get our picture taken." Emily reminded the girl. She took out her phone and handed it to Paige. "Take mine first." She instructed.

Paige did as she was told, stepping back and taking a photo of the girl once Emily was wearing her mask again. She then took out her phone and handed it to Emily. "Your turn." She said, changing places with the girl. "Hey I wasn't ready!" She exclaimed when Emily took a photo of her before she was even in position but the girl just kept taking her picture, laughing in amusement.

"Let's do one together." Emily suggested. "We'll take one using mine and then one using yours." She explained, walking over to Paige and handing the girl's phone back to her. Emily took out her phone again and held it at arms' length. "Smile." She reminded Paige, elbowing the girl.

"Ow!" Paige cried out, scowling just as Emily took their photo. "Stop taking my picture when I'm not prepared!" She complained, making Emily laugh. She moved her phone away when the girl tried to take it from her. "I'll take the next one." She insisted.

Emily shrugged and stepped closer to the girl, smiling for the camera just as Paige took their photo. "Can I see it?" She asked, extending her hand.

Paige glanced at the photo and shook her head. "No way." She answered, pocketing her phone and moving to take down the streamer from the fence.

"You forgot to smile didn't you?" Emily asked teasingly.

"No. I was smiling. But your eyes were closed." Paige revealed, facing the girl when she was done. "I must've taken it when you blinked."

"What?! Ugh. I knew I take better pictures even if they're random!" Emily exclaimed, shaking her head in amusement.

"Sorry." Paige said, shrugging. "I better go." She continued, checking the time on her watch. She made her way towards the front of Emily's house, aware that the girl was following her.

"Paige?" Emily called out after the girl hesitantly.

"Yeah?" Paige answered, turning around to face her.

Emily stared at the girl, at a loss as to what to say next. Tonight Paige went out of her way to make her smile. Paige was even willing to listen to her talk about Jai all night. She was so focused on her grief that she seemed to have forgotten that the girl lost her best friend and wasn't opening up to anyone. She remembered noticing that the girl was struggling with things lately, even having to write things down just to remember them. Paige was having trouble concentrating since the funeral and Emily knew something was wrong. Jai told her she didn't want Paige to be alone. She wasn't going to let her girlfriend down.

"You're not alone. Okay? You have me." Emily said, smiling at the girl reassuringly. "The promise I made to Jai about looking after you. I'm keeping it. To honor her memory. I meant what I said that morning in your room."

Paige knew Emily didn't mean anything bad by it. The girl wanted to comfort her but the words Emily just said unintentionally hurt her instead. "Thanks. I'll see you around." She said, giving Emily a faint smile.

"Goodnight." Emily said in farewell, raising her hand to wave goodbye.

"Goodnight." Paige repeated, waiting for Emily to get inside her house before turning on her heels and walking the rest of the way by herself.

_The promise_. Paige said to herself, remembering the morning Emily was referring to. It happened just a few days after the funeral...

**88888**

"Paige." Emily whispered. "Paige." She repeated, louder this time as she shook the girl awake.

Paige slowly opened her eyes and met Emily's, her eyes widening when she realized where they were. "What the hell are you doing in my room?!" She exclaimed, getting up and moving towards the far side of her bed, away from Emily.

"Sssh! Gwen let me in." Emily explained, keeping her voice down. It was almost five in the morning and she didn't want to wake up Paige's dad.

"My room?!" Paige asked incredulously. She would have to talk to Gwen later.

"The house." Emily corrected.

"So why are you in my room?!" Paige asked, confused.

"Keep your voice down! Your dad's still asleep." Emily reminded the girl. "It's not like I sneaked in. I told Gwen that I was going to check and see if you're awake." She explained patiently.

"Why?" Paige asked, still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Emily was in her room again. And that the girl was sitting on her bed.

"We're going for a run." Emily answered, standing up.

"A run?" Paige repeated, looking up at the girl. She just fell asleep. She didn't have the energy to run.

"Yeah. Remember what you said the first day we ran? Until Jai returns we're going to be running buddies." Emily said, staring at the girl expectantly.

"She's not coming back Emily." Paige said quietly. "We're going to be running buddies for life."

"Don't say that." Emily insisted, still refusing to accept Jai's death.

"Fine. Believe what you want to believe but I'm not in the mood to run." Paige said, lacking the energy to argue with the girl as well.

"You haven't been your usual self lately." Emily pointed out.

"What's it to you?" Paige asked bitingly.

"You're my friend." Emily answered, ignoring Paige's attitude.

"Friend." Paige repeated, looking away. "Just leave me alone. If you want to go running so bad then do it by yourself."

Emily studied Paige before deciding to leave. "I miss her too you know." She said once she was at the door. "You have no idea how hard it is. Waking up every morning knowing I won't see, hear, or even touch her. Going to bed every night knowing the next day nothing's going to change. I miss her too." She said softly. "I want to keep her memory alive. I thought I'd start by spending time with you. Because I want to keep the promise I made to Jai that I would look after you. While she's gone. Even now that she's gone. That's the last thing she asked of me to do so I'm keeping that promise."

"That's the only reason you're here?" Paige asked quietly.

"Should there be another reason?" Emily asked, confused.

"No." Paige answered, shaking her head. "I just thought..."

"What?" Emily asked, waiting for Paige to continue.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Have fun running." Paige said, turning her back to Emily and lying down on her bed once again. She waited until she heard the door swing close before she moved and sat on her bed instead. "I thought you cared." She whispered miserably.

**88888**

Paige got inside her dad's car and buckled her seatbelt before starting the engine. She looked at Emily's house one last time and saw the girl sitting in front of the television through the window.

_The promise_.

Emily didn't care about her. All the girl cared about was keeping the promise they made to Jai. Unlike her, Emily wasn't conflicted about spending time together. That's why the girl wasn't mad at Jai for dying. She, on the other hand, knew that there was a fine line between the promise she made and the genuine desire to spend time with Emily. And she had been walking on it precariously for some time now. That's why she's so angry. Because she didn't know if Jai's death released or bound her to the promise. All she knew is that Jai's death gave her the push and she wanted to stay. There was no more excuse for why she was sticking around. She was certain she's on the other side of the line. She didn't care about the promise anymore and she couldn't admit that without loathing herself. Her father was wrong. Everything's changed.


	10. mutantur : chapter x

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

_**Heads up! After this chapter, I'm going on another one week break because of another mini time jump in the story. Chapter One of Part Two will be posted two weeks from now.**_

_**As always, thanks for your awesome reviews!**_

_**iowahawx, Nae10 and StagHen... Thanks for the PM.**_

* * *

**PART ONE: "Mutantur Omnia Nos Et Mutamur In Illis"**

_~ All things change, and we change with them. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER TEN**

_One Year Ago..._

Emily locked the doors of her mother's car and pocketed the keys before hurriedly making her way towards the towering house in front of her, fully aware that her pulse was racing because of the anticipation. She stopped just short of the front door and rang the doorbell of the Hayes household with a huge smile on her lips as she waited for her girlfriend to let her in. When Jai called her a few minutes ago saying the mail came today and that she got the letter from UPenn, Emily told her girlfriend that she was coming over right away. This moment was important not only for Jai but for her as well. It was a part of their dreams. One of the many things they want to cross off in their vision board. And today she knew without a doubt that they would be able to do that.

"That was fast." Jai said in greeting once she opened the door, grinning at Emily. "I guess you're as excited as I am." She added as she moved to let her girlfriend in.

Emily nodded. "Of course. I know how much this moment means to you. So it's important to me too." She admitted, stepping inside the spacious house and kissing Jai on the cheek in greeting.

"Come on. The letter's up in my room." Jai revealed once she closed the door, taking Emily's hand and leading the way upstairs. "I called you as soon as I saw the mail. I wanted you to be the first to know."

"Are you nervous?" Emily asked just as they entered Jai's bedroom.

Jai took a deep breath and nodded. "A little bit. Yeah." She admitted, closing the door behind them.

"Well don't be. I'm a hundred percent sure that you got in." Emily said confidently as she squeezed Jai's hand. "I'm so proud of you love."

Jai smiled and picked up the sealed envelope from her bed. "Here." She said, handing the letter to Emily. "Open it." She instructed as she and Emily sat on the edge of her bed.

"What? No." Emily protested, refusing to accept the letter. "You should be the one to open it. This is your dream." She pointed out.

"It's part of _our_ dream too. So open it." Jai urged.

"Jai I know it's part of our dream. That's why I drove here as soon as I heard. But it's your letter." Emily insisted. "You should be the one to open it."

Jai squinted her eyes, studying Emily thoughtfully. "Okay how about this. I'll open the letter... and then I'll show it to you. That way I opened the letter just like you wanted me to. But you'll get to see first if I got in. Just like I want you to. Deal?" She asked, grinning at her girlfriend.

Emily laughed. "There are days when I wish you weren't so smart." She said, smiling at Jai in amusement. "Deal." She finally answered.

Jai leaned forward and kissed Emily on the lips quickly. "Here goes nothing." She said before starting to open the letter. She took out the piece of paper inside the envelope and unfolded it, facing the clean side to her so that Emily could read the content. "Well?" She asked, looking at her girlfriend anxiously.

Emily quickly scanned the words written on the paper and broke into a smile. She threw herself to Jai, hugging the girl tight. "Congratulations love." She whispered as Jai's arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. "I knew you'd get in."

"I got in?" Jai asked, seemingly in disbelief.

Emily nodded. "I'm so happy for you Jai. Your dreams are coming true." She said, the pride evident in her voice.

"It's our dreams Em." Jai reminded her girlfriend softly. "And I couldn't be happier that it's you and me."

"I know the feeling." Emily affirmed. She pulled away and saw Jai looking at her with admiration. "What?" She asked, feeling her cheeks flush.

Jai shook her head and moved to cradle Emily's cheek in her hand. "I love you so much Emily Fields." She whispered, her eyes never leaving the girl's. "In case I don't tell you enough."

Emily moved to hug Jai again and smiled. "I love you too." She whispered back, closing her eyes and resting her head on Jai's shoulder. Her girlfriend was right. It was their dreams. And they were one step closer to reaching them.

* * *

_Present Day..._

Emily sat motionless on the edge of her bed, her gaze transfixed on the letter she held in her hand. She touched the familiar school seal on the upper left hand corner of the envelope and felt a pang of sadness. The letter arrived a few weeks ago in the mail but she still hasn't opened it. In two weeks she's going to graduate from high school and she still didn't know if she's going to go to college in the fall semester. It seemed foolish now but she never thought of applying to other schools because the plan has always been UPenn for her and Jai. Now she didn't care if she got in or not. She didn't mind going to college in a different school in the spring semester because if she did get in, she didn't know if she could be in UPenn for four years without her girlfriend.

Ever since the day she and her girlfriend opened Jai's acceptance letter into UPenn, Emily had always imagined the moment when it would be her turn and Jai was there beside her. They would open the letter in her room together and celebrate the fact that they were one step closer again to reaching their dreams. The future they envisioned. Opening the letter together was a big deal. Like one's acceptance into UPenn was a fulfillment of the other's dreams as well. And that was the reason why she couldn't bring herself to open the letter from UPenn now.

"Sweetie it's time for breakfast!" Pam Fields called out from downstairs. "You better hurry up or you're going to be late for school."

"I'll be down in a minute mom!" Emily replied, her eyes never leaving the letter in her hands.

Emily knew she had to open the letter sooner or later. For weeks her mom had been asking whether she's heard from UPenn and she kept saying that maybe tomorrow or next week the letter will arrive in the mail. She needed to open the letter. But not today. Because today she has to focus on acing her final exams and later in the evening she has plans with Paige to watch a movie to unwind.

_Tomorrow_. Emily told herself resolutely, standing up and grabbing her bag from the windowseat. She returned the letter to where she's been hiding it for weeks (inside one of her notebooks) and slung the strap of her bag on her shoulder before heading downstairs for breakfast.

* * *

Paige pulled the theatre door open and hurriedly exited the building, looking up and down the street in search of her insulted companion. She was about to take out her phone from the front pocket of her jeans to call Emily when she saw the girl cross the street.

"Emily wait up!" Paige called out, crossing the street in a hurry to catch up to the girl. "Hey. Come on. I'm trying to apologize." She said, putting on an extra burst of speed so she could overtake Emily. "I'm sorry for calling you a crybaby." She blurted out once she turned around to block Emily's path. "I was just teasing you. I wasn't making fun of your taste in film. I just don't get why you would want to watch something so depressing." She hastily explained. "I mean I thought the whole point of watching a movie tonight was to unwind?"

"It is." Emily answered, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Okay. So why did you insist on watching Hachi?" Paige asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "We could've watched a comedy film but instead you opted to watch a dog and his master die. Haven't you done enough crying?"

Emily shrugged. "It's not like I knew they were going to die. I just thought it was a good film about dogs being man's best friend. You have to admit Hachi was fiercely loyal to his master." She pointed out.

"Don't get me wrong. I love animals. I don't have anything against watching films that feature them. Just not tonight. I was hoping to find a reason to laugh after those brutal exams today but instead I'm going home thinking about a dog." Paige complained. "Not to mention you spent the better part of the movie crying."

"Well you didn't have to give me such a hard time for shedding a few tears." Emily said, embarrassed. "It's a sad film. There's nothing wrong with crying."

"I know. I'm sorry." Paige repeated sincerely. "It won't happen again." She promised.

"You're probably regretting agreeing to watch a movie with me." Emily guessed, moving past Paige to start walking home.

Paige shook her head. "Not at all. If anything I was surprised you asked me. And that for the first time it wasn't because your friends couldn't come with you." She admitted as she fell into step beside the girl.

Emily gave the girl a small smile. "Well I haven't been doing my part in the whole looking after each other promise we made to Jai. You've been holding your end of the deal even if it meant having to force yourself to set aside your hatred of me for now. All because of Jai. So I'm trying to do my part." She explained. "I just realized that we're going to go our separate ways once we graduate. You're headed to USC so I'm trying to make the most out of spending time with you."

Paige bit her lip. She didn't know which was worse. Emily asking her to watch a film because her friends couldn't make it or telling her she's doing it because of the promise. "That's the only reason you insist on spending time with me?" She asked as they rounded a corner.

"Should there be another one?" Emily asked, looking at Paige in confusion.

Paige shook her head. "No." She answered, refusing to meet the girl's eyes.

"That's the second time you've asked me that question." Emily commented.

"What question?" Paige asked, pretending she didn't know what the girl was talking about.

"If the promise is the only reason why I'm spending time with you." Emily answered. "Why do you keep asking me that?"

"I guess I'm just waiting for your answer to that question to change." Paige confessed.

"Change into what?" Emily asked, puzzled.

Paige shrugged. "I don't know. Something different." She answered vaguely. "So what did you think of the film?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"It was poignant." Emily admitted. "Whenever Jai and I watched films like Hachi we end up leaving the theatre in tears. That's why when Hachi died I couldn't help but cry. What about you?"

"What about me?" Paige asked, placing her hands inside the front pockets of her jeans.

"Which part of the movie did you cry?" Emily clarified, looking at Paige.

"None." Paige answered casually.

"Not even when Hachi died? How can you not cry after that scene?" Emily asked in disbelief.

Paige shrugged. "I just don't see what's so sad about it." She answered truthfully.

Emily narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Do you have an illness of some sort?" She asked, making Paige look at her in surprise.

"Wha... what makes you say that?" Paige stammered, terrified that Emily found out her secret.

"I haven't noticed until now but… I've never seen you cry. Like ever." Emily admitted.

"What are you talking about? Yes I have." Paige said indignantly. _I have, right?_ She thought, racking her brain.

"When?" Emily challenged. When Paige couldn't answer her she grinned. "See? You've _never_ cried. Not even on Jai's funeral. Why's that? I mean, I know how much Jai meant to you so why didn't you shed any tears the whole time we were mourning her?" She asked, curious.

"I _was_ sad. But I knew she's in a better place now so I didn't see the point of crying." Paige explained.

"The point is to show that you're capable of mourning when someone dies." Emily answered wryly.

"I don't have to cry just to show people I'm mourning." Paige argued. "We all mourn in a different way."

"Okay… so what would it take to make you cry then?" Emily asked, inclining her head to the side as she studied the girl thoughtfully.

Paige glanced at Emily. "I don't know. It's not like I spend my time thinking of ways to cry." She pointed out dryly.

"But if there is _one_ thing that would make you cry, what is it?" Emily persisted, refusing to let Paige off the hook.

"Depends. Tears of happiness or sadness?" Paige asked, finally deciding to answer the girl's question.

"Either. Both." Emily answered, shrugging.

Paige sighed. "Happiness... when I get to keep something that's really important to me more than anything else in this world. Sadness... the complete opposite of that. When I lose that something despite doing everything I can to keep it but in the end I still didn't get it." She replied.

Emily nodded slowly. "So what you're really trying to say is that you're going to cry over your bike." She said teasingly.

"Hey that bike is my most prized possession!" Paige shot back indignantly.

"I'm kidding." Emily said, laughing. "But seriously, what would make you cry?" She asked softly.

Paige bit her bottom lip. "A broken heart." She finally answered. They continued to walk the rest of the way to Emily's house in silence until they reached the end of the driveway. "You ready to leave all of this behind?" Paige asked when Emily turned to face her to say goodnight. "In two weeks all of this will be over. We're finally graduating."

Emily smiled faintly. "I guess." She began. "I can't say I'm excited to head off to college. I don't know if I can be in UPenn for four years without Jai."

"Oh so you got in?" Paige asked, ready to congratulate the girl.

"I don't know yet." Emily answered.

"Well Spencer's going to be there with you if you do get in so I'm sure you'll be fine." Paige reminded the girl lightly. "I mean, she's one of your closest friends so that's not too bad. Right?"

Emily instinctively touched the locket on her necklace. "Maybe." She replied hoarsely. "I better head inside." Emily suddenly said, looking behind her. "Thanks for going with me to see that movie. Goodnight."

Paige nodded as she glanced at the necklace. "Goodnight." She repeated despite seeing the distant look in Emily's eyes. She waited until Emily was safely inside the house before starting to make her way home with her head down, seemingly deep in thought.

* * *

"Don't get me wrong. I'm all for you going to UPenn and finally telling your dad about the letter. I'm just trying to understand something." Kayla admitted, her voice coming clearly through the phone Paige was holding to her ear. "Why not tell him yesterday or tomorrow? What brought this on?"

"Nothing really." Paige answered distractedly as she looked around her room for her messenger bag. She finally spotted it resting at the foot of her bed and leaned down to grab it.

"_Really_. So just out of the blue you decided to finally show your dad that letter from UPenn at breakfast today. Because you've decided that you don't mind going to UPenn after all." Kayla said skeptically.

Paige cradled the phone in the crook of her neck so she could free both hands while she searched her bag for the acceptance letter. "What do you want me to say? I just woke up and realized that it was inevitable. I really can't do anything about it now. I'm still trying to feel better and I'm seeing your dad everyday." She explained patiently. "My dad wants me in UPenn, you want me in UPenn..."

"Emily wants you in UPenn." Kayla continued.

"I didn't say that." Paige said into the phone indignantly.

"Didn't have to." Kayla retorted. "Tell me. How was prom?"

"Prom? I didn't go to prom." Paige answered, still rummaging her bag for the letter.

"Don't lie to me Paige. I know you missed that after dark marathon because you went to Emily's house and took her to prom right in her very own backyard instead." Kayla revealed accusingly.

Paige abruptly stopped rifling through the contents of her bag. "How did you find out?" She asked, nervously running a hand through her hair.

"Jai may be dead but that doesn't mean Emily and me are just going to lose touch. She's been part of my family for three years. She's like my other older sister. I called her last week to check how she's doing and she told me about what you did for her." Kayla explained. "I must say. For a person who said she's not giving up on her dreams you're doing a pretty good job of showing otherwise. What the hell Paige?"

"Kayla I'm not giving up on my dreams, okay? I just didn't want Emily to be alone on prom night. You didn't see her face when she was trying on all those dresses. She wanted to go to prom. She just didn't want to go with all those other girls who kept asking her." Paige explained, going back to searching for the acceptance letter.

"So you thought that if you showed up in her backyard instead with your very own prom she'd have no choice but to say yes to you and just like that you got to take Emily to prom." Kayla guessed.

"What? _No_. I would've left if she said she didn't want to go to prom, okay? I'm not forcing my presence in her life." Paige said defensively. "Why are you giving me such a hard time about this?"

"Because someone needs to remind you that your world doesn't stop revolving just because you _think_ Emily needs you." Kayla answered. "Paige I know you really like her, okay? And you're probably thinking that this is your chance to show her that. Maybe to make amends for how you've treated her in the past. But not at the expense of putting everything on hold." She reminded the girl. "This isn't right. You're already too attached and I'm scared your heart is going to get broken again."

"Kayla... Kayla... _slow down_." Paige said just as her hand touched the sides of the envelope. "Look. I promise that's the last time I'm putting things on hold for Emily. But I've made up my mind about this. My dad's going to find out about it sooner or later. And it's better that I show him now rather than keep lying to him until he decides to call UPenn and ask the status of my application himself. He's going to get mad once he finds out I've been lying to him for weeks. I'm going to UPenn. But this time I'm not against it."

"Yeah but why?" Kayla asked, still not getting a clear answer to her question. "Something must have happened for you to change your mind now. So what was it?"

"You're not gonna like the answer." Paige admitted.

"Emily." Kayla guessed.

"I need to make sure that she's going to be okay." Paige answered truthfully. "I gotta go." She added before Kayla could start reprimanding her again. "Thanks for calling to check up on me but if I don't hang up now I'm going to be late for school and I have an exam this morning."

"Yeah okay." Kayla uttered grudgingly. "I'm sorry I've been giving you such a hard time lately. I'm just trying to look after you. Someone has to."

Paige sighed. "Kayla I'm not mad at you. I get where you're coming from. I'm not disregarding your worry nor am I trying to get rid of you." She explained, feeling guilty for making the girl feel like she's a nuisance. "I just really have to go. I promise I'll call you once my exams are over."

"Yeah okay." Kayla repeated. "Congratulations by the way. You're officially a Quaker." She reminded the girl lightly.

"Thanks." Paige said before ending the call. She stood up and walked over to her study table to return the phone to its cradle before grabbing her bag and heading downstairs for breakfast.

* * *

Emily studied Paige out of the corner of her eye as she cleaned out her locker after their swim team's farewell pool party that afternoon. It was their team's last meeting for the school year and in line with the tradition, Coach Fulton asked the team's younger members to throw a party for the graduating seniors. Emily had been trying to find a way to ask Paige for her usual favor since the start of the party but she didn't want the girl to think that she's pathetic for always going there. She smiled at her teammates as they walked past her, acknowledging them with a nod of her head as they bid her goodbye. She waited until it was just her and Paige inside the room before she closed the door of her locker and walked over to the girl.

"Hey Paige... do you have plans now?" Emily asked hesitantly as she watched the girl fix her things.

Paige checked the time on her watch before answering. "Um, I have an appointment but it's not until six. Why?" She inquired, looking at Emily keenly.

Emily bit her lower lip. "Oh. Uh... I was just wondering if you could come with me to the cemetery again today. I wanted to visit Jai and..."

"Yeah. Sure." Paige interjected. "I don't mind driving you there."

Emily slowly released the breath she was holding in. "Thanks. I won't stay too long so you won't be late for your appointment." She promised.

Paige nodded. "We better get going then." She said, closing the door of her locker and slinging the strap of her duffel bag on her shoulder. She moved to follow Emily towards the exit but stopped short when she heard someone call out to her.

"McCullers." A woman's voice behind her made Paige turn around.

"Coach Fulton." Paige said in greeting. _Crap_.

"I'm glad I caught up to you." The woman said, walking up to her. "I've been meaning to ask how that triathlon in Virginia went." Coach Fulton continued. "Did you place in the top twenty?"

_Crap_. _I knew it_. "Oh." Paige muttered, the hairs on the back of her neck rising when she felt Emily's piercing gaze behind her. "About that. I, uh, forgot to tell you. I wasn't able to make it. There was an event in Philadelphia held in honor of Jasmine Hayes the night before." She began to explain, clearing her throat awkwardly.

"The Gray Matter Foundation?" Coach Fulton asked. "I heard about that. Logan Hayes requested a meeting with the school board and the faculty last week. He wanted to publicize the foundation's offer of a scholarship for incoming senior students who want to pursue a career in the medical fields related to the study of the human brain."

Paige nodded. "Yes that's the one. And I decided to attend the event thinking I could catch a later flight to Virginia instead. But it ended past midnight and I knew I was in no condition to compete. I wouldn't have enough sleep to be able to give my best so I decided to forego the competition for now." She admitted, suddenly feeling embarrassed and guilty. Now she understood what Kayla was trying to say. "I'm so sorry I wasted your time with the training, coach. It's just that the event was more important for me."

Coach Fulton smiled. "I understand your decision. Just because you chose to miss out on the competition this year doesn't mean all that training we did was for nothing. You can continue with your training and join another triathlon next year." She said encouragingly. "Well then I guess I better let you two head on out. You look like you're in a hurry."

"On our way to visit Jai's grave, coach." Emily supplied, reminding Paige that she was in the room with them and that she heard everything.

Coach Fulton nodded. "I'll surely miss having the two of you in my pool next year." She admitted. "In two weeks both of you will be graduating. Congratulations in advance."

"Thanks coach." Emily and Paige said at the same time.

Paige waited for the woman to go back to her room before turning around to face Emily. "Let's go." She said, avoiding the girl's suspicious stare as she walked past her and headed for the door.

Emily creased her brows in puzzlement. Paige never told her about joining any competition. But then again, Paige never told her anything about herself willingly.

"Are you coming?" Paige asked impatiently, looking at Emily as she held the door open.

"Yeah." Emily replied, deciding to forget about what she learned for now. She fixed the strap of her duffel bag on her shoulder and quickly made her way towards the waiting girl.

Paige sighed once Emily walked past her. She knew the girl was itching to ask her about what just happened and she didn't know how she could explain her decision without Emily reprimanding her like Kayla did. _Here's to hoping that she's too preoccupied with thoughts of Jai that she forgets to ask about the triathlon later_.

* * *

Emily wistfully stared at Jai's name on the marker before crouching to lay down a bouquet of flowers beside it, sitting down in front of the marker with her legs crossed. She gently touched the letters that made up Jai's name and smiled softly.

"Hey love." Emily began. "It's me again. I, uh... I just came home from school today. Paige drove me here again but like always she decided to stay in the car." She continued, playing with the freshly cut grass she was sitting on. She rested her left elbow on her leg and leaned her head on her hand, reading the name on the marker again. "Let's see... what happened today. Well I missed you. But that's nothing new. And I kicked Paige's ass in swimming. Nothing new there too." She added, chuckling.

"But... um." Emily uttered, reaching for the letter in the back pocket of her jeans. "The acceptance letter from UPenn came in the mail a few weeks ago and until now I still haven't opened it." She revealed as she began toying with the envelope she held in her hands. "Two weeks. Just two weeks to go and I'll be graduating."

"It's funny. Or not really... but it feels like it was just yesterday that we were standing in my room after we found out you got accepted into King's College and you said you wanted to see me during my senior year. And today it's almost over." Emily whispered sadly.

"Yesterday I was staring at this letter in my room." Emily confessed. "And I remembered the time when you got your letter from UPenn and I came over and we decided to open it together. Back then I couldn't wait when it's my turn. When you would be the one sitting on my bed while I opened the letter and showed it to you this time. 'Coz I wanted you to be the first one to know. 'Coz my dreams are your dreams too. Right?" She asked softly.

Emily stared at Jai's name again. "I didn't want to open this. Because I don't know what I want to see inside. I mean... either way you're still not going to be here." She pointed out. "But I'm running out of time and excuses. So I finally decided to muster the courage to open it today. But I need you to be beside me when I do. This time it's the other way around. I'll open it but you have to read it first. Deal?" She asked, smiling faintly.

"Here goes nothing." Emily said after letting a moment of silence pass. She carefully tore open the envelope and took the letter out, unfolding the piece of paper and facing the side with the writing on Jai's grave. "So. Did I get in?" She asked, tears welling from her eyes. She waited for a few seconds again before looking at the contents of the letter and choked back a sob. "I got in." She uttered, letting her tears fall. "I guess I'm going to UPenn." She managed to say before resting her head on her hands and crying. "I don't want to go without you." She whispered brokenly.

Emily knew she needed to stop crying. She had to leave soon or Paige is going to be late. But she didn't want to go back to the girl and let Paige see that she was falling apart. Emily took a deep, shaky breath to compose herself and finally stood up when she felt she had a better grip on her emotions.

"I have to go. Paige has an appointment at six and I think I've been taking up too much of her time lately." Emily admitted as she wiped the last of the tears in her eyes. "I've been trying to keep the promise I made to you. That I would look after her. But it hasn't been easy especially when I remember that the only reason Paige is being nice to me is because she made that promise to you as well." She added.

Emily took a deep breath before continuing. "Jai… once we graduate she's headed to USC. I won't be able to look after her anymore when that happens. Not as much as you would want me to. I hope you understand. I guess we'll still see each other during the holidays if she ever decides to visit Rosewood though. And if by some miracle she's still nice to me… maybe we can spend time together." She said hesitantly.

She bit her bottom lip, still reluctant to leave. "You'll be with me, right? When I go to UPenn?" Emily asked softly. "I'd like to think you'd be with me." She said, smiling faintly before turning around to leave.

* * *

Paige shifted the car's gear into park before cutting the engine once they were in front of Emily's house. Other than the occasional small talk, the drive to and from the cemetery was spent mostly in silence and she understood that Emily's mind was filled with thoughts of Jai. Paige didn't ask any questions when she saw the girl emerge from the cemetery and wordlessly got inside the car although she knew that Emily was upset. She knew the girl had been crying but didn't want to let her know so she pretended not to have noticed. Paige nervously cleared her throat and faced the girl in an effort to start a conversation but Emily spoke up first.

"Thanks for driving me to the cemetery again." Emily said sincerely. "Are you sure you can still make it in time for your appointment?"

Paige nodded. "Yeah. It isn't far and I still have thirty minutes left." She said reassuringly. They sat in silence once again before she decided to speak up first this time. "So. That letter from UPenn you've been staring at since last week... did you finally open it with Jai?" She asked gently, knowing that was the reason Emily went to the cemetery today.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. I got in." She revealed, looking down on her lap.

"That's great. Congratulations." Paige said sincerely. Now she knew the reason why the girl was crying earlier. "I'm sure Jai is really proud of you. Wherever she is." She added, knowing Emily still couldn't accept the reality.

"I wish she could be proud of me right here." Emily said brokenly. "She's the one I wanted to go to UPenn with. No one else." She admitted before looking at Paige. "What about you? Did you get in?"

"Me?" Paige uttered, trying to buy some time while she contemplated her answer. Emily has been so emotionally vulnerable since the funeral and it was obvious that the girl was just asking her out of courtesy. She had a feeling that Emily was expecting her to say she didn't and that her getting in as well wouldn't exactly fall on the good news category. "No. I, uh... I didn't get in." She finally answered. _Now how do I avoid running into Emily and Spencer in UPenn for the next four years? Damn it! Where's Harry Potter's invisibility cloak when you need one?!_

"Oh. Sorry about that." Emily said, feeling awful that she felt relieved when she heard the girl's answer.

Paige shook her head. "Don't be. I didn't plan on going there anyway." She lied.

"So I guess you're headed to USC just like you planned." Emily continued, smiling at the girl. "You must be really excited."

"_Totally_." Paige answered emphatically, her expression and tone not quite matching. "I mean, it's been my dream school since I was twelve. Why wouldn't I be?" _Come on Paige. You can do better than that. You sound like someone just died_.

"Wow if that's your face when you're excited about something I don't think I want to see your expression when you lose your bike." Emily commented, shaking her head in amusement.

Paige looked at Emily in alarm. "Why would you say something like that? Take that back! Don't jinx my bike!" She cried out comically. "I need my bike to compete. Don't say things like that!" She added mock urgently, trying to improve Emily's mood, but the girl's expression turned pensive instead. _Oh crap. She remembered_.

"Why didn't you tell me about the triathlon in Virginia?" Emily asked quizzically.

Paige sighed. _So close_. "I _did_ tell you." She pointed out.

Emily shook her head. "No you didn't. You just said that you had to be somewhere else. You didn't give me an answer when I asked if it was more important than Jai." She reminded the girl. "Why didn't you tell me? I would've understood."

"What's done is done." Paige said indifferently. "There's no sense talking about it now because I made my choice that night. I don't regret missing that competition if that's what it took for you to attend the event." She continued. "You didn't want to go without me so I decided to skip the triathlon."

"Yeah but I only said that because I thought you were just trying to find an excuse not to go. I would've understood if you just explained it to me." Emily repeated exasperatedly.

"Maybe so but you still wouldn't attend the event." Paige argued. "I heard what Kayla said to you. That it meant a lot to her and Logan that you came because it showed that you're still willing to be a part of their family even if Jai isn't around anymore." She reminded the girl. "Skipping the competition was the right thing to do. I don't get why you're pissed."

"Because you're not being fair!" Emily exclaimed, surprising Paige. "You keep going out of your way to keep the promise you made to Jai. At the expense of your plans." She added as she unbuckled her seatbelt to face the girl. "I don't want to be used as an excuse everytime someone comes up to you and you tell them that you couldn't make it because you chose to spend time with me instead. I refuse to have that on my conscience. You insist on looking after me but you won't let me do the same for you. You won't let me in."

"Because you're merely curious about my life. You were never concerned." Paige snapped, gripping the steering wheel tightly as she focused her eyes on the road instead of Emily. "Until you know the difference... until you figure out which is more important to you... I'm not letting you in. You're not being fair either." She reminded the girl. "I'm not using you as an excuse but obviously you're using me as one. I'm not merely a means for you to keep the promise you made to my best friend, Emily." She said, finally looking at the girl. "I bet you were relieved when you found out I didn't get accepted. Because then you wouldn't have to go out of your way to keep the promise you made to Jai. With me gone you have the perfect excuse as to why the promise we made doesn't matter anymore."

"That's not the reason." Emily blurted out before her mind could process the words she said.

Paige looked away, hurt. "But I was right. You _were_ relieved." She said hoarsely.

Emily sighed. "Paige..."

"You should go." Paige interjected, starting the engine again. "I'm going to be late for my appointment if I don't leave soon." She added, her gaze never leaving the road.

"Okay." Emily finally uttered when it was obvious that the girl wasn't planning on hearing her out. "Thanks for the ride." She said before opening the door and getting out.

Despite the pain she was feeling, Paige tore her eyes briefly away from the windshield and checked to make sure that Emily was standing at a safe distance from the car before shifting the gear into drive and pulling away. She knew she lost her temper back there. And that she should've let Emily explain herself when the girl admitted that she was relieved. But Paige didn't want to hear what Emily had to say. Because any other reason as to why the girl was relieved when she said she didn't get in couldn't be good. The end result is the same. Emily didn't want her there. Period. But now she couldn't help but wonder. _If it wasn't because Emily wanted out, then what is it?_

* * *

Emily checked one last time the small white slip of paper she held in her hand before knocking on the door in front of her. On the way over, she kept racking her brain for something she could've done that merited a white slip so close to graduation day. She was surprised when she heard Mr. Roberts call her name just as she was finishing her exam in their Film and Literature class. But she was even more surprised when she found out the reason. In her four years in high school, she had rarely been on the other side of this door and it was by no means for being in trouble so she was never nervous. Except now.

The truth was Emily expected to receive the white slip of paper after the plane crash. But almost two months has passed and she was never summoned. Today she couldn't shake the feeling that Sara Thompson wanted to talk to her because of it. Like the guidance counselor just let her mourn for a few weeks and now the woman wanted to find out how she's doing.

"Come in!" Emily heard Sara Thompson call out from behind the door. _Let's get this over with_. She placed her hand on the doorknob and turned it, pushing the door open and setting foot inside the guidance office.

"Emily." Sara said in greeting once she saw the girl enter the room. "Please. Have a seat." She instructed, gesturing to the chair in front of her desk.

Emily gave the woman a small smile and did as she was told, pulling the chair closer to Sara's desk. "You asked to see me Ms. Thompson?"

Sara nodded. "Yes. You weren't in the middle of an exam, were you?" She asked, checking the piece of paper in her hand which clearly contained Emily's schedule for the day.

"I wasn't. I just turned in my paper actually." Emily admitted.

"Well I won't take up much of your time." Sara began as she arranged the papers on her desk. "I know you need to get home soon so you can study for your exams tomorrow. I just wanted to see how you're doing." She continued, studying Emily carefully. "So are you excited?" Sara asked kindly. "You're on the homestretch. Just a few more exams to go and you and your friends will be graduating."

"Still a bit nervous but I'm looking forward to it." Emily answered, smiling back.

"I know lately things haven't been that easy for you." Sara said sympathetically. "But despite that I can see that you've been coping well and that is admirable." She added as she leaned forward in her chair. "Congratulations by the way. You're headed to UPenn for college. How do you feel about that?"

Emily sat up straight and wet her lips, contemplating her answer. "I would be lying if I said I feel fine. Or that I'm looking forward to it. It's really hard." She confessed. "A part of me doesn't want to go. Being there for four years is going to be really hard because Jai and I were supposed to be there together. I would rather go to college somewhere else but UPenn was the only school I applied to." Emily admitted, looking down on the floor. "And while I'm willing to start college a semester behind if it meant applying to a different school, I know my parents and Jai wouldn't want me to pass up the opportunity to study in UPenn. So I'm going. But I'm dreading the day that would come."

"That's understandable." Sara said comfortingly. "Eventually things will get better. Trust me on that. And remember that you have a support system when you go there in the fall. Your friends will be there to keep you company." She pointed out.

"It's really just me and Spencer." Emily corrected the woman timidly. "Hanna's going to Parsons in New York and Aria's going to Barnard College. Also in New York. But you're right. Having a friend there makes a difference." She admitted, smiling faintly.

Sara creased her brows in confusion. "It's not just Spencer Hastings. I heard Paige McCullers is going there as well." She revealed, looking at Emily quizzically. "Isn't she one of your friends too?"

Emily felt the smile on her lips falter. "Of course. Paige." She muttered weakly. "It must have slipped my mind." She added, looking at the woman apologetically. "Um, is that all?" She asked; suddenly keen to put an end to their conversation. She needed to get out of there. She couldn't breathe.

Sara nodded. "Enjoy the rest of your senior year." She said in farewell.

Emily hastily got up and forced herself to smile. "I will." She managed to say, trying to compose herself as she left the room. She leaned on the door once she was outside, her mind racing. Paige lied to her. _This can't be happening_. _I can't go to UPenn with Jai's best friend_.

* * *

_One Year Ago..._

Emily squinted her eyes in an effort to see despite the glare of the afternoon sun, bringing her left hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the heat. "Ready to give up yet?" She asked smugly.

Paige smirked. "In your dreams _Sniffles_." She shot back, moving closer to the girl while making sure that her hand never lost contact with the surface of the car. "This baby's mine so I suggest you concede before you embarrass yourself." She mocked.

"No way. I want this car." Emily insisted, lowering her hand when Paige was finally standing right next to her.

Emily, Paige, and a guy wearing loose pants and a baggy shirt were the only ones left in the Hands on a Hybrid contest outside the mall. She and the girl had been standing beside the car close to twelve hours now, occasionally crouching and even walking around the car to get some circulation going in their legs. They've been there since four in the morning and as the number of contestants dwindled, the more Emily anticipated her win.

"Well I want it more." Paige argued stubbornly.

"Fine. I just don't want it. I _need_ it." Emily emphasized.

When she found out that the prize was a brand new car, Emily didn't hesitate to join the contest. She has always wanted to drive her own car but her parents didn't see the point of buying her one right now. So although she knew beforehand that the contest was going to be held outside the mall, and that the car goes to the last person standing, she decided to enter anyway. The rule sounded simple. All the contestants had to do was to keep their hand on the car at all times. Like those other 'hands on cars' contests she's seen on TV. But now, after staying under the scorching heat of the sun all day, Emily was exhausted, thirsty and hungry. It was a hot summer day and the sun was unusually high. She didn't tell her friends about the contest because she didn't want them to spend the entire day with her when they could be spending their vacation doing more productive things. But now she wished she asked one of them to come with her since Jai wasn't around. Her girlfriend left for London a few weeks ago with her family to check out King's College and at the same time, it was Logan's graduation gift to his daughter. Now that her girlfriend has graduated from high school and the chances of Jai going back to London for the internship in September was relatively high, Emily wanted to have her own car when she started her senior year.

She was eager to start the contest until she found out that Paige joined as well. Suddenly Emily dreaded being stuck in one place. The last thing she wanted was to spend hours with Paige nearby especially when Jai isn't around but she figured there were other people around them so Paige wouldn't dare make fun of her. But that was twelve hours ago. Now it was just the two of them and a guy who had his headphones on. And he was on the other side of the car, completely oblivious to what was happening.

Paige rolled her eyes. "I seriously doubt that." She said sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Emily asked, glaring at the girl indignantly.

"It means you're a walking, talking, breathing cliché _Sniffles_. The popular, spoiled, privileged rich girl who can easily ask daddy and mommy dearest for a shiny, brand new car if she wanted to. You don't need to stay under the scorching heat of the sun just to win one. Are you trying to get me in trouble?! Jai is going to kill me once she comes back and finds out that you joined this contest and that I just let you burn to a crisp!" Paige snapped.

"That's the reason you want me to quit? You're scared Jai is going to bite your head off?" Emily said incredulously.

"You're her queen. She will bite my head off then feed it to the wolves. Do us both a favor and just give up." Paige demanded, glaring at the girl.

"Oh you mean pull a Paige McCullers?" Emily shot back. "Sorry to disappoint but I don't want to be like you. Will you stop treating me like I'm some fragile thing? I'm getting tired of it." She added, annoyed.

"Are you telling me that you don't like it when Jai treats you like one? Wow. For a second there I thought I was the only one who noticed." Paige said mockingly.

"What are you saying?" Emily asked, her left hand clenching into a fist.

"I'm saying you're not enjoying the attention. Not anymore. Not like you used to when we were freshmen." Paige explained smugly.

"You're wrong. Jai makes me feel special when she pays attention to me. You, on the other hand, make me feel like I'm an invalid and an imbecile. She does it because she cares. You're doing it to prove to yourself that I'm helpless. I don't need your attention. I don't want it." Emily snapped. "Why do you want to win this car anyway?"

"I just do." Paige answered vaguely.

"Wow. Great argument right there." Emily retorted, fighting the urge to clap her hands for effect because she knew she'll lose the contest.

"Okay why do _you_ want to win this car?" Paige challenged.

"I want to have my own car. Duh." Emily explained impatiently.

"Why? It's not like you need one. Just snap your fingers and Jai is going to appear out of thin air." Paige mocked, snapping her fingers for effect. "You have my best friend wrapped around your finger so tight it's pathetic." She said bitingly. "What did you feed her? Or are you just _that_ good in bed?!"

Emily stepped away from Paige, taken aback by the girl's rudeness. "You're disgusting." She uttered, trying to control her anger. "Whenever Jai isn't around you never fail to conceal your hatred of me. I'm not taking advantage of her. I don't have Jai wrapped around my finger." She said, offended.

Paige scoffed. "Yes you do. Ever since you became her girlfriend she hasn't been the same." She snapped. "You must've done something to her."

"It's called being in love. Which you'd know if you had a heart." Emily managed to respond despite the hurt she was feeling.

"Why are you so selfish? You already have a girlfriend who has a car. Give this one to me!" Paige demanded.

"I'm not selfish. I just want something for myself. Is that so bad?" Emily asked, insulted.

"If you keep showing up when I'm clearly going out of my way to avoid you, yeah. It is." Paige answered haughtily. "Why did you have to join this?" She asked, annoyed. "You're ruining my day! Why don't you go somewhere where you're actually wanted?!"

Emily wordlessly stared at Paige, unable to believe that someone this awful could be friends with Jai. She finally decided to concede and lifted her hand from the surface of the car, effectively breaking contact and losing the contest.

"And we are down with _two_ contestants!" The male host declared enthusiastically.

"There. Happy?" Emily asked, not bothering to hide the hurt she was feeling because of Paige's attitude and words.

"No. But if you get out of my face I will be." Paige answered coldly.

"Done." Emily stated before turning her back and walking away with her head down. She just wasted her time. Now she was tired, parched, starving and upset. Winning that car wasn't worth being treated by Paige so horribly. Jai was away for merely two weeks and Paige was already making her life harder than usual. She hated to think what would happen if Jai got accepted into King's College.

* * *

_Present Day..._

Paige rummaged her bag for her notebook in Economics, trying to make sure for the nth time that it wasn't inside as she blindly headed for her locker. School was over for the day and she needed to find her notebook before heading home since she had to study for her final exam tomorrow. _I really can't find it_. _Please, please be in my locker_. Paige thought, frustrated. She halted when she looked up and saw Emily waiting for her. She tried to read the girl's mood but it was like Emily was in the middle of a very intense poker game. She didn't know what to make of the girl's presence. Paige thought that after what happened the other day she would never see Emily again until Graduation Day. She waited for the girl to say something once she was standing in front of her locker but Emily just stood there watching her. It was unnerving. Paige moved to open her locker and looked for her notebook inside, all the while aware that Emily was just standing next to her. _Bingo_. She thought when she finally spotted the notebook.

"So." Emily uttered from beside Paige, startling the girl. Even if she knew Emily had been standing right next to her, Paige was still surprised when the girl finally spoke up. Gripping the door of her locker rigidly, she slowly turned and faced Emily.

"I guess congratulations are in order." Emily continued, her face still not registering any emotion.

"Um... for what?" Paige asked, for some reason nervous.

"Were you ever going to tell me or do you just plan on popping up behind me during the first day?" Emily asked monotonously.

"What… are you talking about?" Paige said, confused.

"UPenn. You think I wouldn't find out?" Emily inquired, waiting for Paige to react but the girl just stood there looking back at her guiltily. "I was wrong when I said you and Jai suck at lying. Apparently you're really good at pretending you're not." She remarked, hurt. "Did you really expect me not to find out?!"

"How _did_ you find out?" Paige asked, her thoughts immediately drifting to Kayla. Other than her dad, Jai's sister was the only other person who knew about her acceptance into UPenn… but Emily's answer proved her wrong.

"Guidance counselor. She called me in to congratulate me and said knowing I had _friends _going there must've made me feel relieved. When I corrected her and said it's just Spencer she kindly informed me that you're going there as well." Emily explained, barely containing her irritation.

"I wasn't going to tell you." Paige admitted.

"Why?" Emily asked, upset.

"If I remember correctly you weren't exactly jumping for joy when I asked for your help with the extracurricular activities. I know you're not looking forward to spending four more years with me so forgive me if I seem uneager to tell you that I got in. It's not like you'd be happy for me. It's hardly good news for you." Paige pointed out, looking away. "And after what happened the other day, it's pretty obvious you don't want me there."

"So what, now you really plan on going to UPenn? Is that it?" Emily asked anxiously. _This can't be happening_.

"I'm not going there to make your life miserable if that's the reason why you're so upset right now." Paige reassured her.

"You just lied about getting in." Emily pointed out. "Why should I believe you?" She asked warily. "All this time the only thing that's keeping you from reverting to your old ways is the promise..."

"Just _once_ will you shut up about the promise?!" Paige exclaimed, fed up. "You've been saying those words _every single time_ you're around me. Like you constantly need to remind yourself that the only reason you're spending time with me is because of Jai. Well guess what? I didn't look after you for Jai. I stopped looking after you for her when she died. I stuck around for you." She finally confessed.

"What?" Emily muttered, trying to figure out the reason for the girl's sudden outburst.

"I'm not heartless Emily." Paige whispered, unable to meet Emily's eyes. "So it hurts. It hurts that all this time you still tell me that the only reason you're here is because you're merely honoring your promise to Jai. Like everyone else, you don't see me. You see Jai. I represent the promise you made to her. Nothing more. And that really sucks."

"Why?" Emily asked, baffled by Paige's words.

"You seriously don't know the answer to that question?" Paige asked in disbelief.

"No. I don't. So will you just stop with the mind games?! What do you want from me?!" Emily asked, fed up.

"I want you to _care_! Because I do! I care about you!" Paige admitted emotionally. "This isn't about the promise anymore. I forgot about that a long time ago." She continued, studying Emily's reaction. "But apparently the same can't be said for you."

"How could you expect me to care when for three years all you did was make my life in high school a living hell?!" Emily said angrily. "What, you just expected me to forget all those years?"

"No." Paige answered inaudibly, ashamed when she realized that Emily was right. She couldn't blame the girl for distancing herself. She didn't know what she was thinking.

"That's not even the point. I thought you're going to USC? That's your dream school. Not UPenn. Things weren't supposed to turn out this way." Emily insisted.

Realization dawned on Paige. "Oh. I get it now. Once again, this conversation is about Jai. The two of you were supposed to go there together and instead you got me." Paige stated, meeting the girl's gaze head-on.

Emily resignedly ran a hand through her hair. "It's not fair. Jai's the one who's always dreamed of attending UPenn. She's worked so hard to get in. Since freshmen year she's been actively pursuing it. Now she's gone and..."

"I'm going instead." Paige finished, insulted. "You think I don't deserve to go there. Because I haven't tried as much as you two have. Because I didn't exert the same amount of effort. That I didn't even want it as badly as you two did because my dad was the one who insisted that I apply in the first place. You think I had it easy. Don't worry. I don't plan on taking your precious dreams away. I'm not going to UPenn if that's what you want." She offered dejectedly.

"Don't act like you're doing me a favor. Don't change your plans for me. If you want to go to UPenn you have every right to." Emily pointed out.

"Just stay away from you, right?" Paige guessed, trying to figure out why things between them were starting to get hostile again when she wasn't doing anything to provoke Emily.

"Why not? You've told me to get out of your face several times. Now it's your turn." Emily answered bitterly.

"If that's the way you feel then I'm going to do both of us a favor. I'm going to move across the country and go to USC." Paige declared. "You're waiting for the day when the promise won't mean anything to either of us. Why don't we just start that now? My dad was right. Trying to keep that promise by forcing ourselves to spend time together is preventing us from moving forward with our lives." She explained, looking away. "Especially when we're doing it for different reasons. So starting today consider yourself relieved of that stupid promise." Paige stated, slamming her locker door shut. She let out a humorless laugh before looking at Emily again. "It's funny. For a second there I actually thought things were changing between us. I guess I was just imagining things."

Emily followed Paige's retreating back as the girl slowly walked away from her. She had every chance to run after Paige and apologize. Try to explain what's really bothering her about Paige's acceptance and decision to go to UPenn. But she didn't. Instead she just let the girl leave. If Paige going to USC meant not having to constantly worry when the girl will snap and decide that she's done playing nice around Emily, then so be it.

* * *

Two weeks later, Paige found herself staring numbly at the marker on the ground, thinking back to everything that's happened before today. It still felt surreal that she was standing here not as a senior but as an alumnus of Rosewood High. She did it. She made it through four years of high school in a place she never thought she'd love more than Girard. And while a part of her felt glad... a bigger part of her felt melancholic.

Paige crouched and placed a bouquet of flowers on Jai's grave before sitting down. Although the cemetery wasn't exactly a place teeming with people all the time, for some reason this afternoon the place was eerily silent. The Rosewood populace was mostly out celebrating with their respective families this afternoon and tonight the annual bonfire party down at the beach awaited the graduates. Yes. Paige knew for certain that no one thought of going to the cemetery today. Yet here she was.

"So I graduated today." Paige began, drawing her knees to her chest. "And I remembered what we talked about a few months ago. What you told me. That you're going to ask me where I'm going for college once I graduate." She reminded her friend, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear when a gentle wind blew past her.

"Here's the thing. It's complicated. My decision that is." Paige added. "I was all set for USC. Then I got accepted into UPenn. Then you died. Then my illness kicked in so my dad told me to go to UPenn. So I was going to. At first against my will. But then Emily and I watched a movie and it seemed like she didn't want to go to college. So I realized I wanted to go to UPenn after all. Because Emily's going there. And I wanted to make sure that she's going to be fine. Because I worry about her every second." She admitted guiltily.

Paige let out a strained laugh. "Thank god you're not really in there. Otherwise you'd probably dig your way through the ground right about now just so you could yell at me for feeling this way about your girlfriend. And I won't stop you 'coz I deserve it." She added hoarsely. "But can you blame me? Emily... she's... she's the only thing that made sense to me ever since you left. So I'm having a hard time staying away."

"But I digress. Where was I?" Paige asked, biting her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Oh. Right. UPenn. Emily found out I got in and she was really upset. I thought she was going to be happy for me or something. I didn't know what I was thinking. Why I expected her to be happy about it when I've made her life miserable for years. I guess I just thought since we've been spending so much time together that she'd changed her opinion of me. Even if for her it's because she wanted to keep the promise she made to you. But it turns out she doesn't want me there. She wants you." She said quietly. "It will always be you. And she's upset because I'm here instead. So now I have to disobey my dad. Because I'd rather that he gets mad at me than Emily. I can take it. I know he's going to talk to me eventually. But Emily... I just don't want her to hate me more than she already does. So long story short... I guess I'm going to USC. But this time it's against my will." She admitted before getting up and dusting the back of her jeans.

"Jazz... I'm so sorry I wasn't a better friend." Paige said, ashamed. "I wasn't able to keep the promise I made to you without falling for her. You deserve better."

* * *

Emily studied the clusters of people in attendance at the party tonight as she zipped the red hooded sweatshirt she was wearing, the letters P-E-N-N stitched in the front indicative of where she's headed for college. The party thrown by the incoming student council of Rosewood High was already in full swing and Emily couldn't help but smile when she saw the energy and enthusiasm of the crowd. All of them have officially graduated earlier today and the annual hoodie party is thrown as a way to let people know where each of them is headed for college.

"There you are!" Hanna exclaimed, tapping Emily on the shoulder from behind and grinning at her friend excitedly. "I've been looking everywhere for you!" She added as she fixed her gray hoodie with the orange letter P on the upper left corner which stood for Parsons. "Come on! UPenn's next in the picture taking. Aria's trying to find Spencer."

"Sorry." Emily uttered apologetically. "I was just having a moment." She explained, slightly raising her voice in order to be heard above the sound of the wind as she followed the girl towards the huge white tent in the distance.

Rosewood High's incoming student council always threw the hoodie party at the beach and a strong wind was blowing around them as they slowly made their way towards the people wearing UPenn sweatshirts who were already gathered inside the tent. Emily waved when she saw Spencer and Aria coming from the opposite direction.

"Ready to make it official?" Spencer asked, grinning at Emily keenly.

Emily nodded. "Let's do this." She answered, trying to sound enthusiastic despite the anxiety she was feeling.

It has been two weeks since she and Paige had that fight and she had no idea where the girl was headed for college. Although Paige might've said that she's going to USC, her decision was made in the middle of an argument. For all Emily knew, the girl decided she's going to UPenn after all. As she followed Spencer towards the front of the tent, she steeled herself to seeing Paige for this one. She saw the girl earlier during the ceremony but Paige didn't acknowledge her and she couldn't bring herself to approach the girl and apologize for what she said.

"Okay places everybody!" The photographer called out and Emily and Spencer went to stand at the back of the group.

"Where's Paige?" Emily asked when she noticed that the girl wasn't among the handful of students posing for the camera with them.

Spencer shrugged. "I haven't seen her." She replied indifferently. "Why?"

"No reason. I just thought she's going to UPenn with us." Emily explained, looking around her.

"Well if that's the case then I guess she's going to miss out on this one." Spencer stated. "Are you sure she's going to UPenn? What about USC?"

"Right." Emily uttered, thinking that Paige decided to really stick to her original plan. She set aside all thoughts of the girl as she smiled for the camera and when the shot was done, she looked around for a student clad in a USC sweatshirt. "Daryl." She called out, tapping the girl on the shoulder.

"Hey Emily." Daryl said in greeting, smiling at the girl. "Congratulations."

"Yeah. You too." Emily replied, smiling back. "Are you guys next for the picture taking?" She asked while casually scanning the crowd behind the girl for any sign of Paige.

Daryl shook her head. "We're the group who came before UPenn. We're done." She answered. "Why?"

"Oh. By any chance, was Paige with your group?" Emily asked anxiously. "I've been trying to find her in this crowd."

"Uh... no. I didn't see her. I thought she was headed for UPenn?" Daryl inquired, confused.

"Okay. Thanks anyway." Emily said without answering the girl's question. She turned her back to leave but stopped short when she saw that there seemed to be a commotion a few steps away from them. "What's going on there?" Emily asked, nodding her head towards the direction of the crowd behind the girl.

Daryl looked behind her quickly before turning to face Emily again. "Oh that. I guess you haven't had the chance to scan our yearbook yet. That line's for the page dedicated to Jasmine Hayes." She explained, smiling at the girl. "Paige asked the yearbook committee to do it and paid for the two pages herself. She said technically Jai belonged in our batch so she asked that we include her in our yearbook as well. If you want to write a message you can fall in line. We're going to give it to Jai's family after."

"Paige... she came up with that idea by herself?" Emily asked hoarsely. This is the reason why being around the girl confuses her. One minute she's horrible, the next she's showing a completely different side of her. Emily didn't know what to believe anymore.

Daryl nodded. "Yeah. She said Jai deserved to be remembered." She explained. "I better fall in line before I run out of space to write on." She added, gesturing behind her.

"Yeah. Okay. Thanks for telling me about it." Emily said, smiling faintly. She took a deep breath and looked around her. Suddenly she wasn't feeling so festive anymore. She was hit with a sudden pang of guilt. This is her fault. For some reason she had a feeling that Paige wasn't at the party because of her. And she needed to fix it. "Hey Spence… can you guys swing by my house last? I have to go somewhere first." Emily explained when she saw her friend walk past her.

"Right now?" Spencer asked, confused. "I thought the plan is that from here we're swinging by our houses later then leaving straight for Miami?"

"It still is. But something came up and I need to get home right now. I forgot something. Tell Hanna to swing by my place last and I'll meet you guys there. Please?" Emily implored.

Spencer nodded. "Sure." She replied, looking at her friend curiously. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to fix something." Emily answered vaguely. "Thanks. I'll see you guys later." She promised, waving at her friend and hurriedly making her way towards the road to head home.

* * *

Paige repeatedly rolled the pen she was holding in her right hand, playing with it with her fingers as she stared at the document in front of her, contemplating what to do. After she visited Jai in the cemetery she went straight home and she had been sitting in this spot for the past three hours. She started when she heard a knock on her door and turned around to see who it was. When she saw Emily poke her head inside, Paige hurriedly slid the document under its envelope.

"Uh... I hope you don't mind. Gwen let me in." Emily supplied, entering the room timidly with a paper bag in her left hand. "Are you busy?"

Paige glanced at her study table before returning her attention to Emily. "No." She answered.

Emily bit her bottom lip, tugging at the neckline of her sweatshirt. "You weren't at the hoodie party." She began nervously.

"Obviously." Paige uttered. "Looks like you came from it." She observed, nodding towards Emily's sweatshirt. "What happened? Party's over?"

Emily shook her head, moving closer. "Not yet. But it's already in full swing." She admitted.

"So why'd you leave?" Paige asked, confused.

"Why weren't you there?" Emily asked in response instead.

Paige shrugged. "Not really in the mood to party when I don't know where I'm going for college." She answered, looking away.

Emily moved to take out the blue UPenn sweatshirt she brought with her from inside the paper bag and handed it to Paige. "Yes you do." She said softly, giving the hoodie as a peace offering. "Congratulations on graduating today."

Paige slowly took the hooded sweatshirt from Emily and touched the letters before looking up at Emily, speechless.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you. For getting upset when I heard that you got accepted into UPenn." Emily explained hoarsely.

"I shouldn't have lied about it." Paige said in apology as well.

"Yeah. You shouldn't have. But I get why you lied. My reaction proved you right I guess." Emily admitted reluctantly.

"Why _did_ you react that way?" Paige asked, placing the sweatshirt on top of her study table. "I never could figure it out. You said it's not because you wanted to break the promise. So what is it?"

"Jai's gone. And you're going to UPenn." Emily began, looking down at the floor.

"You think I don't deserve it. That it was her dream. You said that already." Paige pointed out.

Emily hastily looked up at Paige. "I never said those things. You're the one who jumped to conclusions." She reminded the girl.

"It wasn't that far of a leap. What was I supposed to think?" Paige asked.

"That I'm scared." Emily confessed. "I'm scared of being around you in college."

"Why?" Paige asked, puzzled. "I thought we've been getting along?"

"We have." Emily answered hurriedly. "But I always thought at the back of my mind that it wasn't going to last. That we're only spending time together because we're in high school. I guess all this time I was thinking that it would all eventually come to an end. That once we graduate the promise won't matter anymore since we won't have to spend time together because you're going to USC and I'm headed to UPenn. And I didn't mind." She admitted, feeling guilty. "Because the truth is the months you spent pretending to be nice to me weren't enough to make me forget the years you spent making my life miserable."

Emily bit her bottom lip anxiously before continuing. "Whenever Jai was out of town... going to competitions, vacationing outside of the country, visiting relatives... whenever she wasn't around and we run into each other accidentally you never fail to show me just how much you really hate me." She reminded the girl sadly. "When Jai's around you tone it down. But when she isn't you don't bother to hide it. And I'm scared that you're going to wake up one day and decide that you're done trying to keep the promise you made that you'd look after me. You'll look at me and instead be reminded that you really hate me and this time Jai isn't going to be around to tell you to stop. So I thought it's better if we just go our separate ways than keep waking up thinking if today is the day I'll see that side of you again. If today is the day you'll finally stop pretending that you care."

"I wasn't pretending." Paige told the girl sincerely.

"Even so." Emily insisted. "I didn't realize it until you lashed out at me for not caring. When I told you that I couldn't bring myself to care. When I found out that you lied about not getting in. I didn't expect to see you after high school. Yes. A part of me was nice to you. But you kept insisting that we're not friends and if that's true then I don't know what we are." She admitted, confused. "Jai was always there. When you made fun of me. She was always there to tell you to stop. But things are different now. If you go to UPenn..."

"You still see me as someone who would make fun of you." Paige said, realization dawning on her.

"I wouldn't put it past you." Emily admitted. "You hurt me so much Paige. And I guess I really don't trust you."

"Emily things _are_ different now. They're _better_. I'm not going to UPenn just to torture you." Paige promised. "I can't even begin to apologize for being such a jerk to you for years. I didn't know things will turn out this way." She confessed hoarsely. "I care about you."

"I want to believe that." Emily admitted. "And I hope you mean it. Because I don't want to look like an idiot if this is all an act so you could have the last laugh."

"You left the party and came here to give me this?" Paige asked, looking at the hoodie again.

"And to apologize." Emily added.

"And those are the only reasons why you're here." Paige asked, her voice almost inaudible.

"No." Emily answered. "I'm here because I realized that I care too." She admitted, making Paige's eyes widen in surprise. "That's the answer you were waiting for isn't it? The answer you wanted to hear from me? For me to tell you that the reason I'm here is because I care and not just because I promised Jai that I would look after you."

"I just can't tell. With you. This promise thing we made to Jai is so confusing for me." Paige admitted, closing her eyes briefly in frustration.

"Why?" Emily asked, baffled.

"Because like I said, it hasn't been about that for me for a while now. I know I made a promise to my best friend. But I also know that I genuinely care about you." Paige confessed. "And I guess I just wanted you to tell me that you're not spending time with me because of a promise but because you actually like me. Which now I realize is asking a lot from you considering I was so horrible to you up until recently." She added understandingly.

"I do care." Emily affirmed. "I admit it was about the promise at first. Both of us spent time together because of it. But we can't exactly spend time together and keep our emotions separate at the same time. A lot has happened since the day we said those words to Jai. I've gotten to know you. When you're not being snarky or obnoxious or sarcastic. When your walls are down, I see glimpses of the you you're desperately trying to hide. I hope one day those walls will come down completely and that you'd let me in. That one day you can say that I'm one of your friends." She added optimistically.

"I don't think I can do that." Paige admitted.

"Why?" Emily asked, puzzled by the girl's stubbornness.

"Because. I just can't." Paige answered vaguely. "Thanks for this." She said, pointing to the hoodie. "Any plans for the summer?" She asked in an effort to change the subject.

"Miami." Emily revealed, smiling at Paige. "My friends and I are leaving tonight, spend the summer there. Kind of a last hurrah before we go our separate ways. They thought I could use a break from Rosewood and I have to admit they're right. What about you? What are your plans?"

"I don't know yet." Paige answered. "But I'll probably focus on my training and continue some of Jai's charity works around Rosewood with Kayla before I leave for college."

"Kind of your last hurrah for Jai." Emily said sadly. She took out something from her paper bag. "Daryl told me what you did for Jai in our yearbook. Thank you."

"It's more of for Kayla and Logan than for you." Paige admitted sheepishly. "Sorry if I didn't bring you in on it."

Emily shook her head. "Don't be. Despite what you think of me I'm not self-centered. I know this wasn't about me." She added wryly. "But what you did for Jai's family... I guess that gave me the push I needed to come here tonight. Kayla said Jai taught her to have faith in people. I'd like to think I could learn that from Jai too. You're her best friend. She must have seen something in you that you haven't shown me yet." She said softly before handing her yearbook to Paige. "Here. Sign mine and I'll sign yours."

Paige nodded and wordlessly retrieved her yearbook from her desk drawer, handing the slightly heavy object to Emily while she took the girl's. She opened Emily's yearbook to look for a spot she could write on but unintentionally flipped to the adjacent pages she asked the yearbook staff to dedicate to Jai instead. She glumly stared at the two pages, reminded that the last time she saw her best friend alive was at the airport, saying goodbye. She hasn't seen her friend in months. Not in the flesh. But she never forgot how great her friend was. How much of a dreamer she was. And she understood why Emily was having a hard time letting Jai go. Her eyes drifted to the photo of Emily and Jai as a couple. Emily had a bright future with Jai. And now it was gone. She would never understand what Emily was going through. Paige took a deep breath and continued flipping the pages until she found a space. She hurriedly wrote her message before closing the yearbook and handing it back to Emily just as the girl handed back hers.

"Enjoy your summer." Emily said, taking her yearbook and returning it inside the paper bag.

"You too." Paige said, smiling at Emily. "Have fun in Miami."

"I will. And I guess I'll see you in UPenn this fall." Emily added, smiling back.

"You mean that?" Paige asked, glad that Emily now wanted to spend time with her there.

Emily nodded. "I have to go. My friends are going to drive by my house soon to pick me up." She explained, checking the time on her watch. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Paige repeated, watching Emily leave her room. Once she was sure that the girl was gone, she turned her back to the door to face her study table again. She took out the document and stared at her incomplete signature in the NLI form before returning it inside the envelope, grinning when her eyes drifted to the blue hoodie Emily gave her. Paige had a feeling that she's going to love UPenn more than Rosewood High.

* * *

Emily carefully surveyed her room, trying to make sure that she wasn't leaving anything behind for her trip to Florida. She went over the mental list she made again and checked things off one by one. Satisfied that she had everything she needed, Emily walked over to her bed to retrieve her bag and head downstairs when she was distracted by a knock on her door.

"Door's open mom." Emily called out. "Are they here?" She asked when her mother entered the room.

"Not yet." Pam Fields answered. "I just wanted to give you something before you leave." She explained, handing Emily a plain, white box. "Logan dropped by while you were at Paige's. He wanted to give that to you personally but he was in a hurry so he left it with me instead."

"What is it?" Emily asked, shaking the box. Whatever was inside was heavy.

"I don't know. Logan said it came from London." Pam said slowly. "From Jasmine. He said his daughter had it made while she was there and made sure that it was going to arrive today. It's your graduation gift."

Emily stared at the box, hit with a sudden wave of sorrow. "Oh." She uttered, swallowing hard.

"Do you want me to leave before you open it?" Pam asked sympathetically.

Emily nodded. "Thanks mom." She said, looking up and smiling at her mother faintly.

When her mom closed the door behind her, Emily sat on the edge of her bed, her hands trembling as she held the box. She took a deep breath and finally opened it, taking the heavy object out. She smiled when she saw the snow globe. Inside was a three-dimensional entrance to UPenn and standing in front of it were two girls holding hands. Emily read the inscription at the bottom and choked back a sob.

_Forever begins today._

Emily touched the locket on her neck instinctively and looked up to stare at the vision board she and Jai made together. She set down the snow globe on her bed and stood up, slowly making her way towards it. She took the vision board off the wall and stared at it closely. She didn't realize she was crying until a tear fell on the surface of the photo of the old couple sitting on the porch swing of the house with the white picket fences. Emily felt her knees buckle and then she was on the floor, crumpled in a heap as she wept in agony.

_It's all over. None of these... will ever come true._


	11. sic infit : chapter i

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

**PART TWO: "Sic Infit"**

_~ So it begins. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

_Four Years Ago..._

Paige sat in her usual seat at the back of the class, growing restless as the seconds ticked away. She began fidgeting on the edge of her seat again, feeling like she's about to either pass out or hurl at the mere thought of having to stand in front of the class and show everyone her work. She's the last student who had to present for the day and she had no idea how to go about explaining the contents of the vision board she made. She didn't know what she wanted years from now and she felt pressured when she saw the works of her classmates who presented before her. Theirs seemed so certain. Their vision boards were filled with things that represented what they want to achieve and have years from now that there was no space left. Paige bit her bottom lip and focused her attention on the illustration board she was trying to hide in plain sight on top of her desk. She studied the vision board she made, feeling more nervous than ever. Hers had more spaces in them than magazine cutouts and she couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"So this is the vision board I made." Paige looked up when she heard Emily's voice at the front of the room. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she almost forgot that Jai's girlfriend of three weeks is in the same class as her and that Emily is the student who has to present her vision board before her. Jai's girlfriend being in this class made things worse for Paige. It was bad enough that her board was almost bare. Having Emily see it was humiliating. _Of all the classes we could have together... why does it have to be Social Studies?!_

Paige studied Emily's vision board, her eyes involuntarily drifting to the girl whose eyes suddenly met hers. Like clockwork, she narrowed her eyes menacingly and smirked before looking away; forcing herself to pretend that she wasn't paying attention to what Emily was saying. Paige was getting so used to hating the girl now that she could barely remember how she felt when she first laid eyes on Emily. She heard the girl's voice falter but Emily recovered quickly and went on with her presentation. As Paige continued to listen to Emily tell the class about her dreams, she couldn't help but be amazed. The girl animatedly explained what she wanted to be years from now, what she envisioned for herself and how she would reach those dreams. There isn't any doubt that Emily is a dreamer just like the rest of their classmates and Paige felt even more embarrassed knowing that when it was finally her turn, Emily would see what she made and cement what the girl already thought of her. That she had no ambition.

"I know that my board isn't as compact as the previous vision boards but I chose to leave spaces for my other dreams that I haven't thought of yet. I'd like to think that this is a vision in my board. That I still have things I could want tomorrow or years from now. I don't ever want to stop dreaming so I'm leaving spaces for it." Emily explained earnestly, making Paige look up and study the girl's vision board again. Unlike their classmates' boards, Emily's had spaces like hers. But hers were bigger. And unlike Emily's, it was because she couldn't think of what she wanted right now. She wasn't leaving spaces for her other dreams... she had no other dreams. Or maybe she did, she just didn't think of it the way Emily did. The girl wasn't ashamed to admit that she still hasn't figured out everything that she wanted. Unlike their other classmates who filled their boards with various cutouts just to impress their teacher, Emily was being real. And because of that Paige felt comforted. That maybe it wasn't so bad that her vision board wasn't as compact as the others'. That she's allowed to not have everything figured out right now.

She reluctantly stood up when she heard the applause of her classmates, signaling that Emily was done and it was finally her turn. Paige tightened her grip on her vision board, took a deep breath, and slowly made her way to the front of the room, aware that the entire class has their eyes trained on her.

Paige timidly faced the black side of the illustration board to her so her classmates could see the side with her magazine cutouts. "So this is my vision board." She began, feeling her cheeks turn a bright shade of red when she saw again the almost bare vision board she made. Paige kept her eyes glued to the board; unable to meet her classmates' gaze for fear that they were judging her. "Um... where to begin. I guess I'll start with this one first..."

* * *

_Present Day..._

A lone figure in a black hoodie stood unmoving, hiding in the shadows as it carefully studied the deserted building just across the street like it was waiting for something. The air was cold... almost freezing. And when a gust of wind suddenly blew past it, swirling dust and carrying fallen leaves that littered the ground, the hood covering its head was pulled back as well, exposing the stunning features of the figure for a split second.

_Damn it_. Paige thought, hastily bringing her hand to her head to move the hood back in place. _So much for anonymity_.

Paige knew that the longer she stood outside, the bigger the chances are of someone spotting her eventually. She needed to act now. But first she had to make sure that she won't leave any clues behind and that her presence won't be detected once she was inside. She took out a pair of black leather gloves from the back pocket of her jeans and put it on, flexing her fingers to get used to the material. She looked down to check the black sneakers she was wearing, praying its soles won't make a sound on the polished floor of the building. Not that she was stealing something of monetary value but it doesn't hurt to be cautious. _All set_.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Paige looked around her one last time just to make sure that she was the only one lurking in the shadows before making a dash for the side of the building, heading straight for the fire exit. Once she was standing in front of the heavy metal door, she took out a set of keys from the pocket of her sweatshirt and hastily searched for the right key, the constant need to control her trembling hands making her progress slow.

_Calm down_. Paige told herself. _You can't screw this up. You can't fail. Not when you're finally holding the solution to the biggest problem in your plan. _It took some coaxing and groveling but she finally managed to convince Frank, the portly school janitor she befriended over the summer, to lend her his set of keys for a few hours tonight in return for what she did for his son a few weeks ago. But getting her hands on the said keys only brought her a step closer to achieving her objective. What she planned on doing once she was inside the building and whether she could pull it off without a hitch would determine if she could say the words '_Mission Accomplished_' tonight.

After a few more seconds of searching, Paige finally found the key she was looking for and slipped it inside the keyhole. She grinned when she heard the lock click, granting her entrance to Rosewood High. _So this is what it feels like to be in one of those spy movies_. Paige thought smugly. _Better watch your back James Bond_. She added, feeling good about herself.

Paige stood motionless for a minute once the door closed behind her, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness knowing she can't use a flashlight or she might get caught. Instead, she let her eyes get accustomed to the faint moonlight streaming in from the windows and when she could finally distinguish things in the dark, she began making her way down several hallways, careful not to make any sound as she headed straight for a particular display case. She broke into a light jog when it was within sight, aware that the butterflies residing in her stomach for weeks just increased tenfold. _There it is_. She thought, praying that the key to the display case is in the set of keys as well. She began studying the keys she held in her hand as she continued to jog that it was too late before she realized that the display case was right in front of her.

BAM!

The sound of Paige's forehead colliding with the glass echoed in the empty hallway but it was quickly drowned out by her litany of curses. _So much for being in the spy business_. Rubbing her forehead gingerly, Paige made sure that the hood of her sweatshirt still hid her face in case the security cameras installed in the hallways were turned on. She studied the items inside the case, her eyes instantly lighting up when she saw what she was looking for. Paige tried to open the case but it was locked. _Of course_. She thought wryly. She stared at the keys in her hand and groaned inwardly. There were close to fifty. She just hoped that the night guard is fast asleep or is currently so engrossed with watching sports on TV like the ones she saw on heist films that he wouldn't notice the racket she was making. Quickly getting to work, she tried the keys one at a time and grinned when she got it right on the seventh try. Carefully opening the display case, she reached inside for the object she came back to Rosewood High for.

Paige came up with the idea while she was on her way to the youth center the day after Emily left for Miami. She passed by the girl's house the next morning and saw something that inspired her to have a summer project before she left Rosewood for Philadelphia. She was close to losing hope of ever finishing it when in one of her visits to one of Jai's charity works at the hospital she met Robbie, the school janitor's five-year-old son who needed a blood transfusion. When she found out that they have the same blood type, Paige instantly saw the opportunity and didn't hesitate to donate her blood. Of course she felt horrible that she asked for a favor in return for something she would have done willingly. But she needed to get inside Rosewood High and retrieve something that meant a lot to her before she and her father left for Philadelphia tomorrow morning.

As she studied the rectangular object she held in her hands, Paige couldn't help but think that everything that happened since Emily left happened out of pure good luck. And that's saying a lot since up until a few days ago she was resigned to believing that the universe wanted her to suffer for the rest of her life.

But after tonight, Paige was tempted to start believing that when it's meant to be, the universe would conspire to give you something when it knows that that something truly matters to you.

Paige's eyes drifted to the lower right hand corner of the object and she smiled as she traced the neatly scrawled name of Emily Fields. She hasn't seen the girl since the night they graduated and that felt like years ago. She couldn't wait to see her again.

* * *

Emily stepped out of the warmth of her mother's car and out into the cold, night air, pulling the denim jacket she was wearing closer to her body when a gust of wind blew past her. She hurriedly walked over to the passenger side of the car in an effort to keep moving and opened the door to retrieve the bouquet of flowers she bought on her way over to the cemetery. Once she was sure that all the car doors were locked, Emily moved to make her way across the street when something caught her eye.

She watched as a figure in a black hoodie carrying a black rectangular object moved in the shadows, stopping just short of the entrance to the cemetery to look behind like it was afraid that someone was following. Probably thinking that the coast is clear, the figure pulled back the hood of its sweatshirt that was covering its head and Emily started when she realized that she was looking at none other than Paige McCullers. She almost didn't recognize Jai's best friend and she was taken aback that in the short amount of time that they haven't seen each other, the girl standing just across the street from her looked different. Emily was tempted to call out to Paige but something about the girl's posture made her decide against it. She waited until Paige ran past the cemetery before crossing the street, making a mental note to ask the girl about what she saw tonight when they see each other in UPenn.

Despite the darkness, Emily didn't have trouble making her way to Jai's grave given that she's been there almost everyday since her girlfriend's birthday. She laid down the flowers beside the marker once she reached Jai's grave before sitting down cross-legged in front of it. Emily traced the letters of Jai's name and smiled. "Hey love. I'm back." She began softly. "I spent the whole summer in Miami with my friends and while I had a great time with them, I couldn't wait to come home to you." She confessed, the smile on her lips faltering.

"I just saw Paige by the way." Emily said wryly. "My first night back here in Rosewood and already I'm reminded of the fact that you left me with that impulsive and stubborn best friend of yours. I don't know what she's up to at this time of night but judging from her getup and the way she was acting, it can't be good. But don't worry." She added hurriedly. "I promise I'm going to keep looking after her. She's going to UPenn as well in case she hasn't told you yet."

Emily inclined her head to the side and took a deep breath. "_I miss you_." She whispered hoarsely after a moment of silence. "I can't believe I'm leaving for UPenn tomorrow without you. I'm glad Spencer's going to be there with me. Paige too. But having them there isn't the same as having you there physically." She admitted, bringing her right hand to her neck to touch the locket on the necklace Jai gave her. "I should probably go. It's getting late and I need to start packing." Emily said but made no move to get up. She just continued sitting in front of the grave, reluctant to leave. Once she goes to Philadelphia she won't be able to come here everyday. _Just a few more hours_. She promised herself, choosing to brave the cold weather rather than leave as she drew her knees to her chest to keep herself warm.

* * *

"Where are we headed?" Paige asked, turning in her seat to look at the bridge they just passed. "You just drove by the entire campus of UPenn." She pointed out as she faced forward and looked at her father, confused.

Nick gave his daughter a mysterious smile. "I know. But there's plenty of time for you to explore the campus. Right now I'm taking you to where you're going to live." He answered, his eyes never leaving the road.

"Wait. I'm going to live on this side of the Schuylkill River?!" Paige asked incredulously. "What's wrong with living on campus?"

"Too far from Penn State Gen." Nick replied, reminding Paige of the other reason as to why her father wanted her to study in UPenn. "Don't worry. I made sure it's not that far from the campus." He added as he pulled up beside a stylish, modern, high-rise building on Chestnut Street and turned to face his daughter once he cut the engine of his car. He tried to gauge the girl's reaction as Paige took in the sight before her. "We're here." He announced, making his daughter focus her attention to him.

"This is where I'm going to live?" Paige asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes." Nick answered, nodding his head emphatically. "What do you think?"

Paige turned to face the building on her side of the window again; unable to explain what she was feeling at the moment. "Don't get me wrong, dad. This place is great... it's more than great." She corrected herself. "But I still think it's better if I lived in one of the college houses like most of the students. It's nearer to my classes." She explained, looking at her father.

"Well you're not like most students. They don't need to see a doctor regularly and like I said, this apartment is near Penn State Gen." Nick reminded his daughter gently. "And don't worry about the distance. I'll give you a car in a few weeks but for now you need to commute or use your bike to get to your classes."

Paige's eyes widened in surprise and excitement. "You're serious?" She asked, her breath caught in her throat.

Nick laughed; glad to see his daughter was showing signs of feeling better. "Of course. Call it my post-graduation gift to you." He added before getting serious again. "But it's on the condition that you come home during the weekends to visit me. Or if you can't because you're too busy..."

"You'll come visit me." Paige finished for her father wryly. "I didn't forget, dad. If I can't come home for the weekend I promise I'll call you Friday night so you can visit me on Saturday or Sunday."

Nick nodded, relieved that his daughter wasn't vehemently opposing the idea now. "Kayla's going to live here as well." He revealed, looking past Paige's window to study the building outside. "And she's going to have a key to your apartment."

"What?! Dad!" Paige exclaimed, unable to believe that her privacy was going to be taken away here as well. It was bad enough living in a house where locked doors aren't allowed, now she had to expect Kayla to come and go as she pleased.

"It's just for emergencies. She's not going to barge in there unannounced." Nick explained knowing what his daughter was thinking. "With you going to UPenn Logan thought that there's no reason for Kayla to go home to Rosewood during the weekends for now so he set her up in an apartment on the same floor as yours. This is near Girard as well so Kayla agreed to it."

"But why does she need to have a spare key to my apartment if she already lives in the same floor as me?" Paige protested.

"Honey I know you don't like the setup. But like I said, it's just for emergencies. And Kayla won't have a reason to check in on you when you're feeling better." Nick reminded his daughter gently. "Come on. Let's get you settled in. We're going to meet Logan and Kayla in a few hours for lunch." He added, unbuckling his seatbelt and unlocking the doors.

Paige sighed and reluctantly followed suit. It was no use arguing with her father about anything at this point. He didn't allow her to live in a college house and instead made the arrangements for her living situation on his own. Then he and the Hayes went ahead and decided to invade her privacy. And here she thought things would be different here.

* * *

The second Emily's feet entered the room she was going to share with Spencer in Harrison College House for four years, a feeling of excitement rushed through her. Like it was only now that it's finally beginning to sink in that she's in college. She walked forward, seemingly in a daze as she studied the spacious room and the view from outside their window, reminding her that they were on the twelfth floor of the towering building.

"Dibs on the bed away from the window!" Spencer declared as a way to make her presence known. She walked past her friend and deposited the bags she was carrying on the bed near the wall before lying on it.

Emily studied her friend and smiled as she shook her head, walking towards the bed near the window and depositing her things as well. She checked the time on her watch and when she saw that it was just past three in the afternoon, she lied down on her bed, her eyes drifting to the immaculate ceiling.

"Can we just skip the house meeting and dinner and just sleep?" Spencer asked without looking at her friend as she kept her eyes closed. "I knew it was a bad idea for us to return to Rosewood the day before we leave for UPenn." She continued absentmindedly. "And saying goodbye to Aria and Hanna was exhausting."

"I know what you mean." Emily admitted, her eyes never leaving the ceiling.

That was the reason why they left Rosewood late in the first place. Although she and her friends spent the entire summer in Florida, they were still reluctant to say goodbye when it was time to go their separate ways. They knew it wasn't goodbye for good. And that New York isn't really that far. But that didn't stop them from having coffee that morning at the Brew one last time until the Fields and the Hastings drove by the coffee shop and reminded the two girls that they needed to get going or they won't make it in time for their first mandatory activity as freshmen. The College House meeting and dinner.

"Can we be late? Maybe we can be late." Emily suggested, leaning on her elbows to raise herself on the bed so she could see her friend. "I know it's mandatory but maybe we can miss a few things and just catch up with the rest of the group later."

"We can. I just don't want to be the center of attention on our first day here when we enter the venue late." Spencer said wryly. "Maybe we can just start unpacking tomorrow so we can catch up on some sleep once we get back."

"Or maybe you girls should help us bring the rest of your things inside your room." Veronica Hastings chimed in from the open doorway. "We're not your bellhops."

Emily and Spencer quickly got up from their beds when they remembered that their parents were still standing right outside the room and that their luggage were hindering them from getting inside.

"Sorry, mom." Spencer said as she approached the doorway and relieved her mother of the rest of her things.

Emily followed her friend when she saw her mother right behind Spencer's and moved so that their parents could enter the room and take a good look around.

"I bet the view outside of this window is beautiful especially at night." Pam commented as she moved closer to Emily's side of the room and parted the curtains wider to let more afternoon sunlight into the room.

"Yeah. We're lucky we got assigned to this room." Emily said as she wrapped her arms around her dad's waist. She was really glad that her father was able to see her off today and she was making the most out of their short time together before her parents had to leave later.

"Now don't get tempted to go out when you see the view at night." Peter Hastings told the girls as he stood beside his daughter. "The two of you are here to study. Not get wasted."

Spencer rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Dad, we know. But we didn't enter a nunnery. We plan on having the whole college experience _but_... we promise not at the expense of our studies." She added when she saw her father tense.

Emily felt her father squeeze her shoulder reassuringly. "I just want you to have the best college experience." Wayne Fields said when Spencer's parents began helping their daughter arrange some of her things in the room. "Meet new people, maybe start dating girls?"

"Dad..." Emily protested, slightly pulling away. This was one conversation she wasn't in the mood to have. Not right now.

"Why don't we let the girls have a chance to rest before the activity at three thirty?" Pam suggested, walking over to her husband and smiling at her daughter understandingly. "We'll meet the two of you downstairs."

Spencer and Emily nodded before kissing their parents goodbye, the latter following the four adults as they left so she could close the door behind them. She turned to face her friend when it was just the two of them and let out a short laugh when she saw Spencer lying on her bed again.

"Come on Spence, we don't have much time. We need to start freshening up or we're going to be late." Emily reminded the girl, marching over to Spencer's side of the room and grabbing her friend's hand to help her get up. "Come on, you first."

"Ugh fine." Spencer grumbled, finally standing up and heading for the bathroom. "Damn these mandatory activities!" She exclaimed before closing the bathroom door behind her.

As soon as she was alone, the smile on Emily's lips faded, replaced with a look of sadness as she took in her surroundings again. She was living in a college house with her friend. This wasn't supposed to be the arrangement. She was supposed to be living in an apartment outside of campus with Jai. Her hand instinctively moved to the locket on her necklace. Right about now, she and Jai were supposed to be carrying boxes filled with their things inside a one-bedroom apartment somewhere that isn't here. She was in college. And while she felt excited, a bigger part of her felt sad that Jai isn't here with her physically.

"It's a new environment. You might find love here again." Spencer said gently from the bathroom door, making Emily look at her.

Emily was so preoccupied with thoughts of Jai once again that she didn't hear Spencer enter their room. She smiled at her friend faintly and walked towards one of the small boxes she placed on top of her bed, carefully taking out the snow globe Jai gave her. She sat down on the edge of her bed and shook the globe, watching forlornly as the fake snow swirled around the two girls holding hands.

"I'm not ready. I don't know if I'll ever be." Emily said more to herself but Spencer heard it. She placed the snow globe on her bedside table and watched until the fake snow settled on the bottom of the globe. "Three great years... how am I just supposed to forget about it?"

Spencer walked over to the girl and sat beside her friend. "Em no one's saying you should. But you shouldn't be stuck in the past either. And I'm not saying you should move on _now_. But you have four years in college ahead of you. A lot can happen." She told her friend consolingly.

"I doubt I'll meet anyone here." Emily said absentmindedly, thinking back to Madame Clarissa's words.

Spencer studied her friend closely. "What made you say that?" She asked, confused.

Emily shrugged. "No reason." She answered before getting up. "I don't know if I told you this but I'm glad you waited to know if I got in before you applied for the roommate request." She added, changing the subject.

"Of course." Spencer said, getting up as well. "I'd take the chance of rooming with a random girl at the last minute than room with someone else early then regret it once I learn that you got in."

Emily smiled. "Thanks. I'm sure we're..." She stopped mid-sentence when she felt her phone vibrate and took it out of the back pocket of her jeans to see who was calling. "Hey." She said into the phone, mouthing to Spencer Paige's name. "What's up?"

"Oh. Nothing much. I, uh... I was just going to ask if you and Spencer are already in UPenn." Paige answered.

"Yeah. We just got here actually." Emily answered, taking a seat on the edge of her bed again. "Why?"

"I see. Well I was wondering if maybe you'd like to grab some dinner with me tonight. Unless you're too tired. I totally understand." Paige said hurriedly.

"Tonight?" Emily repeated, mentally checking her schedule for the day. Dinner is included in the activity this afternoon but other than that her and Spencer's night was free. They can just unpack tomorrow morning. She didn't want to say no to Paige. The problem was they can't have dinner twice...

"Or some other time." Paige added. "If you're too tired we can just have dinner some other time."

"No it's not that we're too tired." Emily said hurriedly, ignoring Spencer's look of disbelief. "It's just that we have this college house meeting and dinner tonight and it's mandatory, remember?" She asked, reminding the girl of the activity at three thirty. "Every college house has one. That's why I was surprised when you asked that we meet for dinner tonight when we're going to have dinner at the activity."

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't know about that." Paige admitted. "I'm not living in a college house." She added, piquing Emily's interest.

"You're not? So where are you living?" Emily asked curiously. "Are you staying with a relative?"

"No. Um... I have no relatives here in Philly. I'm actually in an apartment outside of campus." Paige answered timidly. "On the other side of the Schuylkill River."

Emily felt her eyes widen in surprise. "Wow." She uttered. "That's kinda far from campus."

"I know. But my dad made the arrangements to this place. You can come over and check it out if you want." Paige offered. "Maybe when you're free to grab dinner this week."

"But I haven't said no to dinner tonight." Emily pointed out. "Can we meet around eight? I'm tempted to check out your apartment."

"_Really_? I mean, yeah. Yeah eight sounds good." Paige answered casually.

"And you don't mind if Spencer comes with me, right?" Emily inquired, ignoring her friend's look of horror.

"Not at all. I invited Kayla too so the more the merrier I guess." Paige replied.

"So where will we meet you guys?" Emily asked as she got up from her bed. "Where's this apartment of yours?"

"Just take the bus and get off on Chestnut Street once you cross the Schuylkill River." Paige instructed. "I think there's a bus stop near this building. You can't miss it. It's a high-rise and I'm in unit 2101."

"Okay. We'll see you at eight then." Emily repeated before hanging up and looking at her friend. "So that was Paige." She said although Spencer already knew who was on the other end of the line.

"And what did Paige want?" Spencer asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"To have dinner with us later." Emily explained as she tossed the phone on her bed.

"No she wanted to have dinner with _you_. Why do I have to go?" Spencer protested. "Actually, why do _you_ have to go? We have far better things to do than tolerate her. Like sleep."

"Spence come on. I don't want to go by myself. She lives on the other side of the Schuylkill River and I don't know that area very well." Emily pointed out.

"So why did you say yes?" Spencer asked, raising an eyebrow.

Emily shrugged. "I want to see her place." She answered.

"Which you can still do _tomorrow_." Spencer emphasized. "Why are you so eager to see where she's going to live? That apartment isn't going anywhere." She insisted. "Why do you keep trying to be friends with her anyway?"

"Like you said… it's a new environment." Emily reminded her friend. "Come on. I want to keep looking after her like I promised Jai and I really want all of us to be friends. Maybe tonight that could start."

"Well don't expect me to be friends with her anytime soon. I don't trust her. And you shouldn't either." Spencer added. "Have you forgotten all the horrible things she said and did to you? You should just stay away from her."

"She said she's trying to make up for all those things so I'm giving her a chance." Emily said, trying to pacify her friend. "And she hasn't been horrible to me for some time now. So please? Come with me?"

Spencer sighed. "_Fine_. But in exchange you're coming with me to the PennFest after." She added, referring to the annual indoor/outdoor festival at the Wynn Commons and Houston Hall.

"What happened to wanting to catch up on some sleep once we get back?" Emily asked, starting to smile.

"Hey. You should be glad that we're going to a pleasant activity afterwards." Spencer argued. "You're dragging me to have dinner with the spawn of evil. I need to do something enjoyable afterwards to unwind. Do we have a deal?"

Emily nodded. "Deal." She answered before heading to the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

* * *

Paige moved the phone away from her ear and leaned back on the couch in the living room of her new apartment with a smile on her face. Emily just agreed to have dinner with her tonight. She was finally going to see the girl in a few hours and just thinking about it made her smile bigger. Of course she didn't expect that Spencer was going to join them tonight but she didn't mind because...

"What the heck was that?!" Kayla asked incredulously from beside Paige, distracting the girl from her thoughts. "Did I miss something? Because last time I checked my plans for tonight didn't include having dinner with you and Em. But apparently you invited me and I said yes when I blinked five seconds ago so thanks for planning my evening for me." She said sarcastically.

Paige grinned at the girl sheepishly. "I'm sorry." She said, playing with her phone. "I panicked. Emily wanted to bring Spencer along and we're not exactly friends. But they are… so I couldn't say no... that's why I told her you're joining us." She explained. "Please say you're free tonight?"

Kayla sighed. This isn't how she wanted to be invited to have dinner with Paige but she'll take it. It's not like she has actual plans tonight and she wanted to spend more time with the girl even if it meant watching Paige drool all over Emily. "Fine. I'm free tonight. But you're paying for my dinner." She reminded the girl before leaning back on the couch as well.

After their late lunch, Logan and Nick finally left the two girls by themselves when they were sure that the two have everything they needed. Paige invited Kayla to her apartment to hang out for a few hours before they returned to unpacking their things in their respective apartments and they've been sitting in her living room for almost an hour, staring at the view of the city just past the balcony.

Paige nodded. "Done. But promise me that you won't order everything on the menu. I'm living on a budget here." She reminded the girl, nudging Kayla on the waist with her elbow teasingly.

Kayla scowled. "Hey I don't eat a lot!" She exclaimed indignantly. "And you better be super duper extra nice to me tonight since you're the one asking for a favor."

"I know. I know." Paige said hurriedly. "Thanks for that."

"You're welcome." Kayla replied, grinning at Paige before returning her attention to the view in front of them. "It's not fair. My apartment doesn't have a balcony." She complained, crossing her arms in front of her chest and pouting.

"But you have floor to ceiling windows." Paige reminded the girl consolingly.

Kayla laughed. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" She asked before nodding her head towards Paige's right side. "So do you." She pointed out, referring to the floor to ceiling windows that made up one side of the entire wall of Paige's apartment, from the kitchen behind them to the balcony in front of them. "This building boasts floor to ceiling windows in _every_ apartment. There's nothing special about that."

"Then you should've told your dad that you wanted to have a balcony." Paige pointed out.

"I did. I said I wanted to stay in 2111 but he said it's on the other side of this floor so obviously that's a no. Hence I'm in 2104. Just a few steps away from you across the hall." Kayla explained.

"But you don't mind living here instead of staying in your dorm in Girard?" Paige asked hesitantly.

Kayla shook her head. "Of course not. Like I told my dad I'm cool with commuting to and from Girard everyday. And even if I don't have a balcony of my own I still think this whole place is awesome. I don't mind not having a roommate." She told Paige reassuringly.

"Well if you love the balcony so much you know you can just come over. After all you have a key to my place." Paige reminded the girl lightly.

Kayla studied Paige closely before speaking. "Just because I have a spare key to your apartment doesn't mean I'm going to pop in anytime I feel like it." She said, getting serious. "I know how much you value what little privacy you're allowed so I know this setup sucks."

Paige sighed. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just trying to wrap my mind around the fact that someone other than me has a key to my place." She admitted.

"Well I will only use it for emergencies. And before I even insert the key in the lock I promise I will knock on your door five times." Kayla said, showing Paige five fingers to prove her point. "So are you going to start courting her?" She suddenly asked, catching the girl off guard.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about." Paige stammered, looking down at her hands.

"Oh come on, Paige. You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about." Kayla said, rolling her eyes exasperatedly.

"It's too soon." Paige finally said, fidgeting with her hands. "And I don't know if Emily is even willing to consider it. Just thinking about telling her how I feel is making me so nervous." She admitted, her legs starting to bounce. "You know that I really, _really_ like her. But I barely made her like me as a friend after all those stupid things I did. I don't know if Emily will ever see me as something more."

Kayla slowly stood up. Of course she knows how much Paige likes the girl. Paige spent her time watching Emily and she in turn spent her time watching Paige. She knows. And it hurt. But all she ever wanted was to see Paige be genuinely happy. "Well in case you plan on doing something about your feelings for her... the way to go about it is to get along with her friends. And you can start with Spencer tonight." She pointed out, smiling when she saw that Paige got even more nervous because of what she said. "Don't worry. You invited me to come with you remember? I can break the ice. I'm good that way." She said confidently.

Paige gave the girl a grateful smile. "You _are_ good at breaking tension in a room." She admitted. "Thanks."

Kayla nodded. "Well I'm gonna go do some unpacking and then freshen up before Emily and Spencer arrive. You should do the same." She suggested, looking at the unpacked boxes around them. "Wouldn't want Em to step in here and see that you're such a slob." She added teasingly. "I'll see you at eight." She said before heading for the front door.

When Paige was finally alone, she got up and went inside her bedroom to retrieve the object she took from Rosewood High. This was the reason she wanted to have dinner with Emily alone tonight. But things didn't work out the way she hoped. Spencer and Kayla were going to join them. _I guess I'm just going to have to find another time to give this to her_.

* * *

Hours later, Paige heard a sharp knock and rushed outside from her bedroom, passing by the bathroom and several closets on her way to the front door. She took a quick look in the eyehole just to make sure that it was indeed Emily standing on the other side of the door and was immediately hit with a sudden wave of nervousness. _Relax. Try to act normal._ She stopped short of opening the door and looked behind her to make sure that her apartment looked presentable before turning the knob.

"Hey." Paige said in greeting, waving her right hand awkwardly before stepping aside to let the girl in.

"Hey." Emily repeated, smiling at Paige as she stepped inside the apartment with a paper bag in her left hand.

Paige checked to make sure that Spencer wasn't standing outside before closing the door. She turned to face Emily and smiled again. "Uh... so this is where I live." She began. "I have three closets and this is the first one." She continued, pointing to the closet behind Emily. She walked a few steps and pointed to her right. "Washer and dryer, storage, pantry. That leads to the bedroom." Paige said as she pointed to a short hallway to Emily's left. "You have to pass by two more closets and the bathroom across it to get to the room." She moved forward and pointed in front of her. "This is the kitchen." She said as she walked past it to enter the main room. "And right in front of it you have the living and or dining room and then the balcony." Paige finished, pointing to the area in front of the couch she and Kayla were sitting on earlier. "And that concludes the tour." She said as she turned to face Emily while holding her breath, waiting for the girl's reaction.

Emily took in the size of the place, letting her eyes study every inch of the apartment. She stared at the floor to ceiling windows that served as one of the walls of the room and then at the balcony, completely in awe of the stunning views of the Schuylkill River and the city lights at this time of night with the curtains pulled back to the corners and shook her head. "Oh my god this place is amazing." She said breathlessly, facing Paige.

Paige grinned, glad that the girl liked her place. "I know!" She exclaimed. "I didn't like the idea of living on this side of the river at first. I mean, my dad made all the arrangements so I didn't know what to expect. Today was the first time I actually laid eyes on this place and I love it." Paige admitted enthusiastically.

"Still... it's a little far from campus. Why didn't you just live in a college house in the first place?" Emily asked quizzically.

"It's not that far. Just a kilometer or so. I can just make a run for it if I can't commute or ride my bike and I'm running late." Paige replied.

"Yeah but if your dad made the living arrangements for you why did he choose an apartment building that's all the way across the Schuylkill River? Isn't it more logical for you to live on campus? There are a lot of college houses there and you can even join a program in each of them. Spencer and I joined the Freshman Experience in the Harrison College House and so far it's been great." Emily admitted. "Or if he didn't want you to live in a college house, I'm sure there are several apartments on campus that are just within walking distances to your classes."

_Ugh why do you have to be so smart?!_ "I don't know. I guess it's my dad's way of making it up to me for not letting me attend USC." Paige lied. She can't exactly tell the girl that this apartment is near the hospital where Logan works. That would mean having to tell Emily what's wrong with her and she can't risk the girl finding out about it and staying away from her now.

Emily crinkled her eyebrows in puzzlement. "Wait. Now I'm even more confused. I thought you changed your mind and wanted to go to UPenn?" She clarified.

_Damn it! Of course she remembered that!_ Paige nodded. "I do. But my dad thought I still wanted to go to USC and I didn't bother to correct him so he set me up with an apartment of my own." She explained, lying again.

Emily smiled. "Then you should definitely pursue a career in Theatre Arts. Acting in front of your dad for months that you dread going here for college is impressive." She said teasingly. "But I guess all that acting paid off in the end. This place is really amazing." She added, looking around the room again with a wistful smile.

Paige studied Emily out of the corner of her eye and thought she saw a hint of sadness cross the girl's features. It was fleeting, but she noticed it. Emily was trying to hide it but Paige knew she was struggling with being here in UPenn and now, for some reason, the girl was reminded of Jai and their plan to move in together in an apartment just like this outside of campus.

"So." Paige uttered, clearing her throat awkwardly. "Uh... where's Spencer? I thought you said she's going to join us for dinner?"

"She is. But she decided to wait in the lobby downstairs." Emily answered. "Don't worry. Kayla's keeping her company. I ran into her in the hallway earlier. I think she was on her way to meet you but then she saw me and when I said Spencer's downstairs she told me she's going ahead."

"Right." Paige muttered, praying she wasn't blushing. Kayla was obviously playing matchmaker already.

"Speaking of. I almost forgot to ask. Why is Kayla living in this building as well? When you said you invited her I thought she was going to come over from Girard. I didn't know that the two of you were neighbors now." Emily said, giving Paige a confused smile.

"Oh. Um... for her senior year Logan decided to pull Kayla out of dorming. I don't know why." Paige answered, lying again. "I guess my dad must've mentioned his plan to Logan about setting me up in an apartment on this side of the river and since Girard is on this side as well, he decided Kayla could live in the same building as me." She added offhandedly. "You know what, it's... it's getting late. Maybe we should head downstairs and meet them." Paige suggested, trying to put an end to the conversation. She grabbed her black hoodie that was hanging on the back of the couch and led the way to the front door but Emily held her arm.

"Wait. I want to give you something first." Emily said, handing to Paige the paper bag she brought with her. "I saw it in one of the souvenir shops in Miami and I remembered you." She explained timidly.

Paige's eyes widened in pleasant surprise as she took the paper bag from the girl. She never thought Emily would give her something and it was all she could do not to jump up and down from elation. Emily thought of her more than once while she was in Miami. Paige looked inside the paper bag and took out the water bottle, studying it closely.

Emily suddenly felt silly. She was actually really nervous about giving the water bottle to Paige but she figured it was a way for them to sort of continue where they left off in high school. Like it was her way of reminding Paige that they're supposed to be getting along now. "I know you probably have a water bottle you use when you go biking or something..."

"No. No." Paige said hurriedly, gripping the water bottle tight and moving it out of the girl's reach for fear that Emily will take it back. "I mean yeah, I do have a water bottle. But I was actually planning to dispose it and buy a new one this weekend. So thanks for this. You just saved me the trouble of having to go to the sports goods store to buy another one." She said, grinning while she waved the bottle at the girl. There's no way she's going to use her old water bottle now. "I'll just take this to my room first."

Emily nodded and followed Paige to the front of the apartment. She stopped just in front of the short hallway, deciding to wait there instead of following the girl in her bedroom. When Paige emerged a few seconds later, the girl was already wearing the black hoodie she took from the living room earlier and Emily's thoughts immediately drifted to that moment last night when she saw Paige by the cemetery and the girl pulled back the hood of her sweatshirt when she thought no one was looking. As Paige approached her, Emily now realized that she was taken by surprise not because she saw that it was Paige but because of how good Paige looked last night.

"What's wrong?" Paige asked when she noticed that Emily was staring at her thoughtfully.

Emily shook her head. "Nothing. I just remembered something." She answered vaguely, mentally reminding herself to find a way to ask Paige later about what the girl was up to last night. _You're just curious. That's the only reason you keep thinking about last night_. Plus they haven't seen each other in three months. It was only natural that she noticed how the girl looked and to want to see Paige tonight instead of tomorrow.

"Oh. Okay. Well let's get going. Those two might be wondering what's keeping us." Paige said, gesturing for Emily to exit the apartment first. She studied the girl walking in front of her, thankful that Emily's back was turned to her because she couldn't wipe the grin off her face. She was so happy when she saw Emily standing outside her door. They haven't seen each other in months but Emily was never far from her thoughts. Actually, because of her summer project, Emily was constantly on her mind. But once she opened the door and the girl was finally standing in front of her, Paige had to remind herself to breathe; feeling like the wind just got knocked out of her. She didn't think it was possible. But Emily looked even more beautiful than she remembered.

* * *

"And a raspberry cheesecake for dessert." Kayla finished, handing the menu back to the waiter taking their orders. "Don't worry. I don't mind sharing." She said, grinning at the girl seated next to her.

"I sure hope so. We should've let you order first if I had known that your order was enough to feed a family of four." Paige shot back wryly as she watched the waiter head back inside the restaurant.

The four girls were currently seated on one of the tables outside Mix, a pizzeria just about a minute away across Paige and Kayla's apartment building in Chestnut Street. Paige suggested the place when Emily and Spencer can't seem to make up their minds after she asked them what they were in the mood for, pointing out that Kayla pretty much eats anything.

"Well I'm starving. And you're paying for my dinner." Kayla reminded Paige smugly.

From across Paige, Emily crinkled her brows in amusement. "Did you lose a bet or something? Again?" She asked the girl, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice.

Paige stared at Emily with her mouth slightly open, pretending to be offended. "I did not!" She exclaimed indignantly. "It's just payment for a favor I asked."

"Must be a pretty big favor if Kayla just ordered everything off the menu." Spencer chimed in from beside Emily. "Which I don't mind since we skipped dinner in our own college house for this. So what's the favor?" She asked, staring at Paige.

"She just needed help with unpacking." Kayla hurriedly answered to make up for her comment earlier. "I helped her arrange some of the things in her apartment that's why I'm starving. It's really not that big of a favor." She said offhandedly. "So. What do you think of Paige's apartment?" She asked Emily.

"It's amazing." Emily admitted. "Maybe next time you could show me your apartment."

Kayla nodded. "Sure. Come by anytime this week. School doesn't start until next week for me so I could use the company. Although I have to warn you... _I don't have a balcony_." She revealed dramatically. "You should come by too, Spence." Kayla added, smiling eagerly at the girl seated in front of her. "You _have_ to finish that story you were telling me earlier. You were just getting to the good part."

"Well I would've finished it if we weren't interrupted." Spencer commented, looking at the girl seated next to Kayla pointedly. "But yeah, I'd love to see your place too."

Paige chose to ignore Spencer's deliberate cold attitude towards her knowing the girl was doing it because Spencer doesn't trust her. But she remembered Kayla's advice of trying to get on Emily's friends' good side and she cleared her throat to speak. "So Spencer, how was your trip to Miami?" She asked, making eye contact with the girl. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah. It's a vacation, Einstein. You're _supposed_ to have fun." Spencer answered sarcastically.

"We had an amazing time." Emily added, giving Paige an apologetic smile. "We spent most of the day down at the beach sunbathing. But sometimes it's just me and a good book since the three of them are off with their summer flings making sandcastles."

"That was Hanna!" Spencer protested, making Kayla laugh and Paige smile. "I was doing something totally productive and mature. I was off with Jeremy exploring."

"I bet." Kayla said teasingly. "Did he broaden your horizon after all that exploration?" She asked, winking at the girl suggestively.

"Oh my god Kayla you are too young to know such things!" Spencer exclaimed, laughing.

"I'm seventeen! I'm old enough." Kayla told Spencer reassuringly.

"And what was Aria doing?" Paige asked, trying to join the conversation.

"She conveniently forgot everything she learned about CPR and was taking all these lessons from the hot lifeguard, Beau." Spencer answered before Emily could, making her friend smile. "It _was_ an amazing summer." She admitted just as the waiter came back with a plate of honey barbeque buffalo wings and their drinks.

"What about you? What did you do over the summer?" Emily asked Paige, finding the topic as the perfect opportunity to find out what the girl was doing last night.

Paige shrugged, moving her plate to make room for the 12" Garden Pizza the waiter placed on the middle of their table. "Nothing much. Trained, continued Jai's charity works, trained some more. I was the perfect Rosewood citizen." She said proudly as the waiter placed in front of her the plate of Chopped Salad she ordered.

"You didn't do anything out of the ordinary? No last hurrahs before you left?" Emily persisted as she placed a slice of the pizza on her plate.

Paige shook her head. "Nope." She answered, lifting her fork and knife so she could start eating her dinner.

"No late night escapades?" Emily continued, looking at Paige dubiously.

"Nope." Paige repeated, wondering why Emily was giving her a third degree about how she spent her summer.

"No running around town in the middle of the night in... say... _a black hoodie_?" Emily finally asked.

Paige swallowed hard and slowly put down her utensils, laughing nervously when she saw that Spencer and Kayla were looking at her. "No." She uttered, looking at Emily guiltily. "How... I mean, why..." She cleared her throat weakly. "Why would you ask me something like that?"

Emily studied Paige closely and decided not to say anything in front of Kayla and Spencer when she saw the panic in the girl's eyes. "No reason. I just have this idea in my head that you spent your summer nights trying to dodge girls you promised you'd call but didn't." She answered offhandedly.

Paige let out a relieved sigh. "No. I didn't do anything crazy like that. Like I said, I was the perfect Rosewood citizen. I didn't see anyone over the summer." She revealed, picking up her utensils to resume eating her dinner.

"If you say so." Emily said, watching Paige as the girl brought a forkful of salad greens to her mouth and began chewing it. She refused to look away until the girl met her eyes again and when Paige did, Emily made sure that the girl understood that she knew Paige was lying.

* * *

"Ugh I'm so full." Kayla complained as they slowly made their way back from Mix to the apartment building two hours later.

"Oh. Good. So you're actually capable of feeling full." Paige said teasingly as she walked beside Kayla. "For a second there I thought I'd end up spending my first night in Philly washing dishes just to pay for your dinner."

"You're just jealous because I don't get fat." Kayla retorted, sticking her tongue out to the girl. "I can eat all the pizza I want and still turn heads when I walk down the street but you have to get all breathless and sweaty just to burn that salad you ate." She shot back.

"Hey that is _not_ true!" Paige protested indignantly. "I just choose to eat healthy all the time." She added before stopping to wait for Emily and Spencer to catch up to them.

Despite Kayla's attempts to have a lively discussion over dinner, the rest of their meal was spent mostly eating in silence. Paige tried to strike up a conversation with Emily's friend but Spencer barely talked to her, answering her questions with just a nod or a shake of her head and when the girl did answer her, Spencer's tone was dripping with sarcasm. Trying to make the girl like her was going to be close to impossible. And she knew that there was a big chance that it could be all for nothing because Emily might never like her that way.

"So where are you guys headed now?" Paige asked when the two girls were finally standing in front of her and Kayla.

"PennFest." Emily answered, glancing at Spencer to check if her friend still wanted to go to the festival. When the girl nodded, she looked at Paige. "Do you want to come with us?"

Paige stole a quick look at Spencer and shook her head. "No. I think I'll sit this one out." She replied when she saw the look of annoyance that crossed the girl's features. "I'm beat and I have to wake up early tomorrow so I could get some training done before the mandatory activities start."

"Crap I need to go back. I think I left my phone at Mix." Spencer blurted out as she patted the pockets of her jeans. "I'll be quick. I'll just meet you at the bus stop." She told Emily before turning around and making a run for it.

Emily watched her friend for a few seconds before looking at Paige again. "Are you sure you don't want to join us at PennFest? It could be fun." When Paige shook her head, she continued. "Suit yourself. I guess we'll just see you tomorrow for the Safe Living sessions." The three of them resumed walking in silence towards the bus stop near the apartment building when Emily looked past Paige's other side to talk to Kayla. "So are you excited to be a senior this year?"

Kayla nodded. "I am. But I'm more excited with the fact that I get to have my own apartment this year." She answered, grinning.

"Yeah about that. Paige said Logan pulled you out of living in the dorm for your senior year and that you didn't protest. How come? I thought you love the dorm life?" Emily asked just as they reached the bus stop. "Why do you want to live outside of Girard?"

Kayla caught the look Paige was giving her and shrugged. "I loved living in the dorm." She began, knowing that Paige didn't want Emily to know the truth right now so she decided to tell the half-truth version of the story. "But my dad said I don't have any reason to go home to Rosewood during the weekends now so he decided to set me up in an apartment of my own here. At first it was just so I could spend the weekend outside of school. But then he decided to pull me out of living in the dorm altogether. He said I could just commute going to Girard everyday. Of course I was reluctant to leave my old roommate behind but when I saw the place and found out that Paige was going to live in the same floor as me..." She trailed off, grinning at Paige eagerly. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Emily replied. She studied the two girls standing in front of her and continued. "It's just that I think it's a huge coincidence that you and Paige will be living on the same floor. Isn't it a little weird or something?" She asked, looking at Paige. "Just living a few steps away from each other? Seeing each other everyday?" She added.

Paige glanced at Kayla and placed her arm around the girl's shoulders. "Not really, no. I'm used to spending time with this girl. Living a few steps away from each other just means we get to hang out more often so it's totally cool." She answered, squeezing Kayla's left shoulder affectionately.

"Right." Emily uttered absentmindedly, her eyes drifting to Paige's arm around Kayla's shoulder. She's seen them stand this close before. But now the sight made her uncomfortable. She checked the time on her watch and looked towards the direction they came from to see if her friend was on her way back. Mix was supposed to be just a minute away when you walked. She remembered seeing Spencer run. _What's taking her so long?!_

"We can wait until Spencer comes back." Paige offered as she removed her arm around Kayla's shoulder. "We don't mind waiting with you."

Emily shook her head. "It's fine. I'm sure she'll be back any second now." She told Paige reassuringly. She'd rather wait for Spencer by herself than spend one more minute with the two girls acting all chummy in front of her.

"Okay. Goodnight then." Paige said, waving her hand in farewell. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. Goodnight." Emily repeated. She watched the two girls make their way towards their apartment building, the sight of them kidding around and pushing each other lightly as they walked down the street bothering her.

Emily kept telling Paige before that the girl and Kayla look good together. And that still holds true now. She told Paige before that Kayla likes her. But Paige kept saying that Kayla wasn't her type. And maybe that still held true for now. But finding out that the two girls were going to live just across the hall from each other starting today changed things for her. Now she knew why she asked Paige if it's weird. Because it _is_ weird. It's weird for _her_. Because Kayla likes Paige… and Paige could like Kayla now. And the idea of that happening made her feel uncomfortable for some reason. Then she remembered.

Jai was against leaving the two of them alone.

And now that Jai isn't here, it's up to her to make sure that that doesn't happen.

_That's right_. Emily said to herself. She didn't want Paige to like Kayla because of Jai.

_And that's the only reason_.

* * *

The shrill ringing and constant vibrating of her phone from the bedside table stirred Emily from her sleep on Saturday morning and she brought one pillow over her head to drown out the sound. _Ugh. Go away_. She thought groggily, immediately drifting back to sleep when the phone stopped ringing on her command...

_Buzz! Buzz!_

Emily's eyes snapped open when she heard her phone vibrating against the surface of her bedside table again and she reluctantly removed the pillow covering her head, regretting her action the instant she heard the ringing of her phone loud and clear.

Lifting her head just a few inches above her pillow, Emily grabbed her phone sleepily and pressed the answer button. "Hello?" She managed to say while stifling a yawn.

"Emily?" The voice on the other end of the line asked uncertainly. "Is that you?"

"Paige?" Emily uttered as she got up into a sitting position and ran a hand once through her hair to comb it.

"Were you _sleeping_?!" Paige exclaimed incredulously, shattering any remaining thoughts Emily had about going back to sleep.

"Yeah. And you just woke me up. Thanks a lot." Emily answered, annoyed that Paige had the nerve to act like it was a crime to sleep when the girl was the one who was disturbing her.

"Are you kidding me?! That's why you haven't been answering my calls?! I've been calling you for almost an hour! Are you and Spencer still asleep?" Paige asked again.

Emily glanced at Spencer's side of the room and saw that her friend was still fast asleep under the covers. _Lucky her_. "Well I'm wide awake thanks to you. But Spencer's still sleeping. What's the big deal?" She asked impatiently.

"The big deal is you two missed the Safe Living session this morning!" Paige revealed. "I was waiting for the two of you outside the Irvine Auditorium since we're scheduled for the session at eleven thirty. But the two of you didn't show up so I figured you got there early and decided to head inside without me. I tried looking for the both of you... obviously I didn't find either one. Now I know why." She added dryly. "I texted you but I never got a reply. It's already three thirty. We're about to start the walking tour of the campus."

Emily bolted from her bed and checked the time on the clock on her bedside table. "Oh my god. We overslept!" She exclaimed, making a beeline for Spencer's side of the room.

"You think?!" Paige exclaimed incredulously. "Why are you still in bed?!"

"Stop shouting over the phone!" Emily snapped, starting to panic as she shook Spencer awake.

"Sorry." Paige muttered. "Why are you still in bed?" She repeated, this time a little calmer.

Emily sighed. "Late night." She answered, pointing to the clock on Spencer's bedside table when her friend finally opened her eyes.

"What are you talking about? We went home before midnight." Paige reminded her.

"You and Kayla went home. Spence and I went to the PennFest after, remember? We got back here late." Emily explained.

"Well can the two of you make it to the campus tour?" Paige asked, concerned.

"Yeah. We can still make it." Emily answered confidently. "I'll text you when we're about to leave here so you can tell us where the group's headed next and we'll just meet you there."

"Okay. But hurry up." Paige added before ending the call.

"I can't believe we slept through the day." Spencer said, yawning. "And that we slept through both alarms." She continued, looking at the clocks on their bedside tables quizzically.

"I know." Emily said, smiling at her friend wryly. "But we knew that there was a chance for this to happen. We got back here past one in the morning and we stayed up late unpacking. I get why we slept through the alarms. We were so exhausted."

"Ugh. We really should've left those boxes unopened and just unpacked them today." Spencer muttered, trying to wake herself up. "Now there's no doubt in my mind that we were functioning on pure adrenaline that's why we couldn't sleep when we got back."

Emily shook her head, trying to hide her smile. "I guess I'm going to take a shower first since you're still trying to wake yourself up." She stated, grabbing her towel from the back of the chair of her study table on her way to their bathroom.

* * *

"Never in my life have I seen so many arts in one place." Paige admitted as she, Emily and Spencer walked down the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art later that night.

The walking tour of the campus ended with a casual attire gala event at the art museum and the three of them spent hours mingling with other new students over dinner and then dessert, admiring the various arts displayed until it was time to head home.

"Although speaking for myself, growing up in a town that has no museum? I think any place that has one would make me say those words." Paige continued, earning a smile from Emily and a smirk from Spencer. She ignored the girl's reaction and instead gave Emily's friend a small smile. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us to Late Night at Pottruck at the Fitness Center? They're offering free intro classes." She added, trying to get on the girl's good side. "Or you can climb the rock wall if you want to do something more challenging."

Since the mandatory activity for new students was done for the day, they had the rest of the night free and there were several late night events sponsored by various student groups they could attend all over campus. Paige chose to check out the _Late Night at Pottruck_ event hosted by several student groups including the Taekwondo Club and Emily asked to come along but Spencer wanted to attend the event sponsored by the Philomathean Society, _A Revolutionary Evening_.

Spencer shook her head. "No thanks but I've made up my mind. I want to watch the reenactment of the French Revolution and stump debates are more of my thing." She replied.

Paige nodded. Now that she's certain that she and Emily are going to be alone for the rest of the night, it was the perfect time to give Emily her 'present'. She stopped walking, deciding to head back to her apartment now. "Is it okay if we just meet at the Pottruck Fitness Center? I need to change." She explained, gesturing to the pair of jeans and shirt she was wearing.

Emily smiled. "Yeah. I'm headed back to Harrison first anyway. This isn't exactly the clothes I wear when I swim." She said, pointing to her clothes as well. "Let's meet in thirty?"

"Sure. I'll see you there." Paige answered. She was about to turn her back to them to head towards the direction of her apartment when she remembered something. "Um... since we probably won't see each other the rest of the night... goodnight." She said to Spencer, turning her back to leave once the girl acknowledged her with a nod of her head. _I guess that's a major improvement to the grunt_.

* * *

"Ugh my muscles are already starting to feel sore." Emily groaned as she and Paige exited the Pottruck Fitness Center two hours later. She gathered her still damp hair and moved it to one side of her shoulder before placing her hands inside the pockets of her jacket to keep them warm. "But I gotta say... I missed being in the water."

Paige glanced at the girl walking next to her and creased her eyebrows in confusion. "What are you talking about? You spent the entire summer in a beach in Miami." She reminded the girl. "That's being in the water twenty-four seven so if anything, you shouldn't feel sore. You should be in better shape."

Emily rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I meant I missed being in the _pool_." She emphasized. "And just because I spent the summer near a beach doesn't mean I swam every second I was there." She added wryly. "I live on land. I'm not a mermaid. What?!" She exclaimed when she heard Paige laugh.

Paige shook her head. "Nothing. I just imagined what you'd look like once you turn into a prune." She admitted, laughing again.

Emily scowled. "Exactly the reason why I didn't spend my entire summer swimming in the first place." She pointed out. She turned to face Paige when they were near the street, ready to say goodnight when the girl spoke up first.

"Um... it's getting late. Can I give you a ride back to your college house?" Paige asked, playing with the strap of her duffel bag and bouncing on the heels of her feet anxiously.

Emily gave the girl an amused smile. "I didn't know two can ride your bike." She said teasingly.

"Not in my bike. In something a little more comfortable." Paige explained, stepping a little closer to the girl before Emily could say no. "Come on. It's this way." She said as she took Emily's hand in hers and made her way to the side of the building.

Emily moved her feet to follow Paige, all the while conscious that the girl just grabbed her hand out of nowhere. She glanced down at their hands and studied it, suddenly feeling weird again. The last time Paige held her hand was when they were handcuffed during the fair. And back then it didn't feel weird. Unlike this time.

"It doesn't go from zero to sixty in three seconds but it'll get you home." Paige said confidently, distracting Emily from her thoughts. She let go of the girl's hand and walked ahead of Emily to show the girl what she was referring to.

Emily stepped closer to the vehicle and smiled. "A golf cart?" She asked, her eyes twinkling in amusement. "Where did you get this?"

"I may have taken a chance that there's a golf cart lying around the Pottruck and that someone would let me borrow it for a few hours out of the goodness of their heart." Paige admitted sheepishly. "I checked before meeting up with you. I guess it's my lucky day. Come on. I'm going to give you a ride back to Harrison but we're taking the long way." She added as she walked over to the driver's side of the cart. She deposited her duffel bag on the space behind the seats and extended her hand to Emily so she could take the girl's bag but Emily shook her head. Paige nodded, remembering what the girl said about holding on to her things when riding in a vehicle for short periods of time and instead made sure that the object she was going to give to Emily at the end of the night will remain hidden.

"The long way?" Emily asked, confused.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. I'm giving you my own version of a campus tour since you missed half of it." She explained, getting in the driver's seat of the cart and starting the engine. "This way it'll be faster than having to walk around campus."

"You don't have to do that." Emily said hurriedly, refusing to get in.

"I think I kinda do." Paige argued, squinting her eyes teasingly. "I don't want to have to worry about you losing your way around here. So come on. Get in. Let's get this show on the road." She said, patting the seat next to her.

Emily shook her head wryly. "I think I'm going to regret this." She said before getting in beside Paige.

"Don't say that." Paige reprimanded lightly. "Just wait. By the end of the night I'd have you convinced that I can lead my own walking tour of the campus next semester." She said confidently. "Now, feel free to interrupt my monologue if you have any questions." She instructed, sounding too professional that Emily laughed. "Or if you want to correct me or contribute any other information."

Paige cleared her throat to begin, gesturing to their right. "So we are sitting outside the David Pottruck Health and Fitness Center." She started. "Inside this facility, you will find amongst other things, four fitness centers with state-of-the-art equipment, a second floor weight room, Olympic-sized pool, basketball courts, climbing wall, a juice bar, and of course locker and shower facilities." She concluded before gesturing to their left. "And beside it we have the Inn at Penn..."

* * *

One hour later, Paige stepped on the brake, bringing the golf cart to a smooth stop just across the street from Emily's college house. "Last stop, Harrison College House." She announced, looking at the girl seated next to her.

Emily smiled. "Thanks for the tour." She said, looking at the girl as well. "I really enjoyed it. Even if we missed several turns..."

"Five isn't _several_. It's _a few_!" Paige insisted. "It's just a few turns!"

"Okay." Emily said, laughing. "Even if we missed _a few_ turns, I have to admit, you do have the makings of a campus tour guide..."

Paige pumped her right fist in jubilation. "Told ya." She said smugly, sporting a huge grin on her face.

"Just... not next semester. Give it a few years. Maybe in our Junior year you can try again." Emily said teasingly.

"Or maybe I can just hold a campus tour on how to get lost around here." Paige suggested thoughtfully. "Make them experience it firsthand."

Emily gave the girl a confused look. "How's that supposed to work?" She asked curiously.

"I don't know. I guess I'll give them a tour of the campus then make up names of places and stuff if I can't remember them. Then when night falls I'll take them somewhere far and tell them that the first person who gets to Franklin Field on foot gets a prize." Paige answered, shrugging.

"You can't do that! That's like pulling a prank on hundreds of unsuspecting new students!" Emily reprimanded the girl, sitting up straight in her seat. "You'll scar them for life!"

"I'm kidding." Paige said, starting to laugh. "You should see your face right now. It's priceless."

Emily shook her head wryly before giving the girl a smile. "Well just to be on the safe side, tell me when you decide to hold this campus tour of yours. I'll come with you." She offered.

"No way! You'll suck the fun out of it." Paige pointed out.

"Who said I'm going to stop you? I want in on the action." Emily clarified, grinning at Paige.

Paige nodded her head approvingly. "That's more like it. See? I knew you'd come around eventually. You're actually capable of having fun when you're not busy aiming for straight As. You just need a little more push." She added. "We should start hanging out more often. I'll show you what you're missing out on." Paige said candidly.

"I just might do that." Emily answered, the smile on her lips disappearing. They sat there just looking at each other before she cleared her throat to fill the awkward silence that followed. "Well since I'm here I guess there's nothing left to do but to head inside." She said, looking at the entrance then back at Paige, for some reason reluctant to leave the girl's company.

Paige fidgeted in her seat, trying to muster the courage to give the girl the thing she stole back in Rosewood. She waited for Emily to move but the girl didn't budge. Instead they just sat there, looking at each other until Emily spoke up again.

"Yeah I better head inside." Emily repeated, laughing nervously. She moved to get out of the golf cart when she felt Paige's hand touch hers again.

"Wait. Um I... uh..." Paige stammered, biting her bottom lip nervously. "There's... um... I've been trying to find a way to give you something." She finally blurted out. "I wanted to give it to you last night that's why I invited you to have dinner with me but you brought Spencer along and I brought Kayla along. _Not that I mind!_" She added hurriedly. "But I didn't want to give it to you in front of them so I decided to give it to you tonight instead." Paige explained, pausing to catch her breath. "I... um... I got something for you." She said timidly as she took out the illustration board from behind the golf cart. "It's sort of a gift even if I didn't buy it. And it's probably of no value to other people."

"What is it?" Emily asked, staring at the black surface of the board curiously. It looked strangely familiar.

Paige let out a nervous laugh as she kept the other side of the board hidden from Emily. "I thought it was a good idea at the time but now I just feel like an idiot for coming up with it." She admitted, thankful that it was dark because she could feel her cheeks getting warm. She cleared her throat to try again. "It's a reminder of who you are or who you wanted to be. It's your vision board." Paige blurted out, turning around the board so it was finally facing Emily.

"Back when we were freshmen we had this homework for our Social Studies class. We were told to make our own vision boards and that's what got you and Jai started." Paige reminded the girl. "What gave you two the idea to make a vision board for your future together. But in our class the vision board that you made stood out. It was one of the best and Mr. Pratt loved it so much that he..."

"Decided to put it on display in the hallway." Emily finished, staring at the board she made four years ago. It seemed like forever since she last saw it.

"Right." Paige said, nodding nervously. "He said your vision board was a reflection of your character. It showed someone who has a bright future ahead of her. One who isn't afraid to dream big because she knows who she is and what she's capable of. But at the same time a part of her would always remain dreaming. He said that anyone who has that attitude was bound to go places. That's why he said that your vision board should serve as an inspiration to our class, as well as to the future students who would walk the halls of our school someday." She explained, remembering what their teacher told their class the next day.

"You remembered that?" Emily asked, surprised.

"Eidetic memory or something." Paige replied, not wanting the girl to know the truth about her feelings just yet. "Anyway, I figured since I won't be going back to Rosewood High anytime soon I might as well commit theft. It was worth it by the way. I think you should have it back." She stated, handing the board to Emily.

"What?!" Emily exclaimed, surprised by Paige's actions. "You _stole_ that from the school?!" She said disbelievingly. Now she knew what Paige was up to the night she saw her outside the cemetery and why the girl panicked last night when she revealed that she saw her. "That's why you were running around in the middle of the night in a black hoodie. You stole that from Rosewood High!" Emily said accusingly. "Not to mention you were breaking and entering!"

"Is it still considered breaking and entering if I happened to have a set of keys to the entire place?" Paige asked sheepishly. She sighed when she saw Emily's disapproving stare. "Look. I didn't steal it because technically that board belongs to you. You just lent it to them for four years and I decided to take it back." She argued stubbornly.

"But why? I thought you said it should serve as an inspiration to others?" Emily asked, her eyes never leaving her vision board which the other girl still held in her hands.

Paige nodded. "It should. And it did. I know one person it inspired. But right now I think you need it more than anyone else." She explained gently. "I saw what you did to the vision board you and Jai made. Accidentally." She added hurriedly. "I passed by your house on my way to the youth center the day after you left for Miami and the garbage was being collected. I almost didn't recognize it because the edges were charred but the middle section of the board was still intact. And then I remembered the one we made individually."

Paige bit her bottom lip and studied Emily. "I guess I decided to take this back because I wanted you to know that just because Jai's dead it doesn't mean that your dreams should die with her as well." She said softly. "I wanted to remind you that you had your own dreams before your life with Jai. When you take a look at this closely, you'll see that the dreams on this board and on the one you made with her aren't that different. Except for the whole growing old thing and all the other things beyond your career." She added.

"You're in college. You have this bright future ahead of you. I hope someday you'd look at this and find it in you to start checking things off here. And this board of yours still has some space in it because you said you never want to stop dreaming. Well here's your chance. You can add a whole new chapter of your life. What you want now. I just think you shouldn't give up on your dreams." Paige said sincerely.

Emily felt herself starting to tear up. "Paige..." She whispered hoarsely.

"I like the girl who made this. She's a dreamer. I just want you to know that everyday I walked the halls of that school I stopped by your vision board because it inspires me. _You_ inspired me. I hope someday I'll see the girl who made this again." Paige said softly, handing the board closer to Emily.

Emily looked at Paige for a second, touched by the girl's words. She remembered how Paige wanted to be thanked by her so she slowly leaned forward and kissed the girl on the cheek softly before taking her vision board from Paige's hands.

"Thank you." Emily whispered as she stared at the board, feeling like her dreams were just handed back to her. By Paige.

"No problem." Paige managed to say, her pulse racing when she caught Emily's scent when the girl leaned in close to her. Her cheek was still tingling on the spot where Emily just kissed her and she could still feel how soft the girl's lips were against her skin.

"I better head inside." Emily said, looking at Paige one last time before stepping out of the cart. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Paige repeated. She waited until Emily was safely inside the building before starting the engine of the golf cart with the intention of leaving since she had to return it to the Pottruck Center. But instead she just sat there, feeling like an idiot because she's sure that the grin she was sporting on her lips right now surpassed that of a Cheshire cat's. Paige lifted her fingers to touch the spot Emily kissed earlier and sighed. _I guess that's sort of our thing now._


	12. sic infit : chapter ii

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

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_**As always… Thanks for your awesome reviews!**_

_**Jes Angell, StagHen, Nae10 and sampledbeats... Thanks for the PM.**_

_**BTW, I created a blog for this fic on Tumblr. In case you guys want to read excerpts for the next chapter or ask questions regarding this fic, you can find me under 15xtn21. I'll try to answer your questions without ruining the story for you.**_

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**PART TWO: "Sic Infit"**

_~ So it begins. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

Paige zipped the blue running jacket she was wearing and checked her reflection in the revolving doors of her apartment building on a cold Wednesday morning before finally deciding to step outside. She tilted her head upward and studied the overcast sky, turning the palm of her hand face up to check if it's starting to rain. Satisfied that it's merely a light drizzle, Paige headed to the side of the building to retrieve her bike, ready to pedal her way to campus where she'll then try to break the stats of her previous run that was stored in the sports watch she was wearing. This afternoon is the first time that she's going to meet her teammates and train with them and she wanted to do well. She wanted to show them that despite being a freshman, she has no trouble keeping up with the rest of the upperclassmen in her team. She wanted their respect.

Her body was already warmed up from the laps she did in the indoor pool of her apartment building earlier but she decided to do a few leg stretches once she was outside the street again before turning the front of her bike to the left and mounting it. She put on her helmet and made sure that it was secure before starting to make her way down Chestnut Street, gaining speed as she approached the bridge. She turned left on 30th once she crossed the bridge and exited on Walnut Street, making another left on 33rd as she headed for Shoemaker Green, an area beside Franklin Field. There were several bicycle racks there and she decided to make that spot her start and finish line for her runs.

Paige found an empty spot not too far from the entrance and she gracefully dismounted her bike, taking off her helmet and hanging it on one of the handlebars before crouching to lock her bike. Satisfied that it's secured, she got up and tied her hair into a ponytail before checking the time on her watch. _Five o'clock. Gotta start running_. Paige took out her iPod from inside one of her jacket pockets and wore her earphones before setting the music to the playlist she listens to whenever she ran and pocketing the device again. She did another round of leg stretches and jogged back to the way she came, about to cross the street to Towne Building as she broke into a run when a flash of brown rushed past her, making her almost lose her balance so she took a step back to steady herself once she reached the entrance.

"Hey watch it!" Paige exclaimed angrily when she realized that the flash of brown that almost ran her over turned out to be a girl with long, wavy, dark brown hair who was riding a bike.

Paige waited for the girl to look her way but she didn't. Either the girl didn't hear her or just chose to ignore her as she rode her bike into Shoemaker Green, stopping near a vacant spot and dismounting her bike like Paige did earlier. When it became obvious that the girl was about to run as well, Paige contemplated waiting for her so she could give the girl a piece of her mind but she decided against it. She was wasting precious time just standing there fuming so she gave the girl the meanest glare she could muster when the girl finally looked her way before breaking into a jog and gradually into a run, clearing her mind of the incident just now.

* * *

Emily stepped out of the warmth of her college house and checked the time on her watch, relieved that she still had a lot of time left before her first class of the day. She didn't want to have to make a run for it considering her class is just a few blocks away. Fixing the strap of her shoulder bag, Emily turned left to start making her way past the Mayer Residence. She checked all sides of the street once she reached the intersection, about to cross it when she saw a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.

"Paige!" Emily called out when she saw the girl cross the street from her right. Paige was in her usual running attire and her long, brown hair was tied back into a ponytail. Two things Emily has seen before but for some reason it felt like she was seeing Paige in it for the first time.

Paige tore her gaze away from her sports watch and looked up when she heard her name, her eyes lighting up when she saw Emily standing just a few steps away from her. "Hey." She said in greeting, taking off the earphones she had on as she smiled at Emily and closed the distance between them.

Emily took in the appearance of the girl standing in front of her and smiled. If her hunch was right, Paige has been running around the campus for a few hours but the girl didn't look tired at all. She was sweaty so her skin was glistening but she didn't seem out of breath. Emily almost forgot that Paige ran everyday. She let her eyes wander, studying the girl closely. Because Paige's complexion was light, it was easy to detect the tinge of red on the girl's cheeks. As Paige tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and lifted her hair to wipe the sweat off her nape, Emily found herself studying the girl's arms. They were slender, toned.

"What's up?" Paige asked before doing a quadriceps stretch on her right leg.

Emily tore her eyes away from Paige's arms and focused her attention back to the girl's face, slightly embarrassed. "Nothing much. I saw you running just now and thought I'd say hi." She admitted, fixing the strap of her bag on her shoulder again.

Paige nodded, doing a quadriceps stretch on her left leg this time as she studied Emily closely. "You off to your class now?" She guessed when her gaze landed on the books the girl was holding to her chest.

"Yeah. I have Econ10 now in the McNeil Building." Emily answered, gesturing to one of the buildings across the street from them. "What time's your first class?"

"Not until after lunch. This sem I have mornings free. Which I don't mind since I get to run longer." Paige added, doing a posterior stretch on her right, then her left shoulder.

"You really love running, huh?" Emily commented as she made a conscious effort to keep her eyes trained on the girl's face.

"Yeah. It helps me think. Clear my mind." Paige admitted.

"Is there something bothering you?" Emily asked, her eyebrows creasing in concern.

Paige shook her head. "No. Just some random stuff that keeps popping in my mind. Nothing big really." She added, fanning herself with her right hand when she began feeling self-conscious, sure that her cheeks were turning a brighter shade of red. "Sorry I'm all sweaty." She said apologetically as she took a step back. She didn't want her perspiration to accidentally transfer to Emily especially when the girl was on her way to class. "I've been running since five in the morning."

Emily smiled. "It's okay. I don't mind." She reassured the girl, finding herself studying Paige's appearance once again. "So..."

"So." Paige repeated, waiting for Emily to continue. "So what about you? Are all your classes in the morning this semester?" She asked when the girl didn't say anything.

"Well I have one class on Fridays that's in the afternoon but other than that, yeah. I have afternoons free." Emily replied. She fixed the strap of her bag once again and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear when a cold wind blew past them. "I, uh, guess I better get going." She said as she indicated the time on her watch, suddenly getting flustered being around the girl.

"Oh. Yeah. Of course. Wouldn't want you to be late." Paige said understandingly. "I'll see you around." She added, smiling at Emily.

"Yeah. See yah." Emily replied, smiling back.

Paige put on her earphones again and gave the girl a small wave before moving past Emily, breaking into a jog before running at full speed down the street. Emily watched Paige's progress until the girl rounded a corner and disappeared from her sight, biting her bottom lip anxiously before crossing the street to head to her class. Paige is definitely one of those girls who look really good despite being sweaty and for some reason she couldn't shake the image of the girl in her running attire just now. _What's the matter with you?!_ Emily scolded herself, giving her head a firm shake as she held her books tighter to her chest.

* * *

Paige put on an extra burst of speed as she neared the end of the last lap in the track in Franklin Field that afternoon, a feeling of exhilaration rushing through her when she imagined her coach pressing the start/stop button of the stopwatch he was holding in his hand the instant her feet crossed the finish line. She ran a few more steps to gradually change her momentum before slowing down her pace to a walk and finally stopping to catch her breath, looking towards the direction of her coach to check if he wanted her to come over. When the sandy-haired man just gave her a thumbs up sign, Paige nodded her head in acknowledgment and turned her back before breaking into a huge grin. Her coach just confirmed what she already knew. She did well.

Heading towards the spot in the football field where she left her duffel bag before practice, she sat down on the freshly cut grass with her legs stretched out in front of her before retrieving a small towel and the water bottle Emily gave her from inside her bag. She wiped the sweat off her face, neck and arms then opened the lid of the water bottle to hydrate. Once she was done, she returned the towel and the bottle inside her bag and started doing some leg stretches while studying her coach and his assistant coach as they watched her other teammates' performance.

_Hey. I know that girl_. Paige thought to herself when she saw a tall girl with long, wavy, dark brown hair approach the two coaches and started talking to them. She hastily looked away when her coach suddenly pointed to her direction and the girl said something in parting to the two men before walking towards her. _What's going on?_ Paige continued doing her stretches while discreetly tracking the girl's progress until she was standing right above her.

"Good form out there." The girl said in greeting as she removed the green scrunchie from her wrist and used it to tie up her hair into a ponytail, smiling down at Paige warmly.

Paige stopped stretching and looked up at the girl. "Not what I was expecting to hear from you but thanks." She replied before bending her knees and resting her arms on top of it. "Anything else you want to say to me?" Paige added, staring at the girl expectantly.

"Like what?" The girl asked, her green eyes twinkling in amusement as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I don't even know you."

"Yeah you do. I was the girl you almost ran over this morning with your bike." Paige told the girl accusingly. "What are you doing here?"

The girl let out a short laugh. "Oh so you were that girl who needed a lesson when crossing the street." She said, recognition finally dawning in her eyes. "I thought you looked familiar. You need to work on your glares. It wasn't threatening enough."

Paige narrowed her eyes at the girl who was clearly making fun of her. "You almost ran me over and that's all you have to say?!" She uttered incredulously.

"What do you want to hear? Sorry my bike doesn't come with a horn? You're the one who came out of nowhere." The girl pointed out, the amusement never leaving her eyes.

"I didn't come out of _nowhere_! I was coming out of Shoemaker Green. You need to improve your reaction time." Paige reprimanded the girl, annoyed that she had the nerve to refuse to apologize. "Did you come over here just to tell me that you're not sorry?"

"Hey I came over here not knowing who you are. You're the one who started it." The girl pointed out wryly. "I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Reese." She said, extending a hand to Paige. "Gabriel." She added.

Paige's eyes widened in shock. "_You're_ the team captain?!" She exclaimed incredulously.

"Oh so you've heard of me." Reese said, grinning smugly. "No worries. I get that reaction all the time." She continued, referring to Paige's facial expression. "Tell me. Is it because I don't look captain-y enough?" Reese asked, scratching her head thoughtfully. "Maybe I should start wearing an eye patch and start using words like parley or something. What's your name newbie?"

Paige finally took the girl's outstretched hand and shook it. "Paige McCullers." She said reluctantly before releasing Reese's hand.

"Well, _Paige_. The reason I actually came over is because I was watching you run earlier and I wanted to say that it wasn't bad for a freshman." Reese admitted. "I checked with Coach Steve and he said you beat my record by two seconds when I was your age. No one's ever done that before."

"I didn't know there was a record to beat." Paige commented, getting up and finding herself just a couple of inches shorter than the girl.

"There isn't." Reese affirmed, smiling at Paige reassuringly. "I just meant what I saw out there today was impressive. Do you compete? And by compete I meant outside of track meets."

Paige nodded. "I've been joining triathlons and marathons since I was twelve." She admitted, taking a small step back as she dusted the back of her blue track shorts.

"Same here. But in my case I didn't start competing until I was thirteen." Reese said, raising her hand in greeting when one of their teammates called out to her in passing. "Did you join the one in Virginia last April?" She asked, her attention returning to Paige.

"I joined but I wasn't able to make it on the day of the competition itself." Paige confessed. "Something more important came up." She added, feeling like she had to explain herself to the girl.

"Oh. That's too bad." Reese commented ruefully. "You would've loved it. Being there... in your element... surrounded by all these other tri-athletes like yourself... I mean of course I've joined lots of triathlons in the past but the one in Virginia was a completely different experience. You shouldn't have missed out on it." She told Paige earnestly.

"So I guess it's safe to assume that you competed?" Paige asked, focusing the conversation to Reese's experience rather than dwell in the past. She made her choice that night. She didn't regret it.

"Placed in the top twenty, competed in the Nationals last June." Reese revealed proudly.

"That's awesome. I was aiming for the top twenty, too." Paige admitted, unable to shift the conversation entirely away from her when she felt a twinge of envy towards the girl just now. "How did you fare in the Nationals in Ohio?"

Reese grinned sheepishly. "That one, not so good." She admitted. "I was a second off dismounting my bike and I wasn't able to recover. But this year I won't make that mistake again. I'm aiming for the World Triathlon Series."

"That's the one with the competitions all over the world. Not the Nationals. Right?" Paige asked, eager to learn more about the WTS but their conversation was cut short when one of their teammates came up to them.

"Hi. Sorry to interrupt." The girl said, glancing at Paige before turning to face Reese. "Are we still on for that study group tonight, Patrice?"

Reese gave Paige a warning look when she saw the girl's stunned expression and nodded at the other girl instead. "Yeah. But spread the word that I need to move the time to eight. Turns out my girlfriend needs me to pick up her little brother from soccer practice again." She explained. "And stop calling me Patrice or you're out. I'm serious."

The girl laughed. "Sorry. Won't happen again. _Reese_." She added before hurrying to catch up to the rest of their teammates.

Reese rolled her eyes when she saw Paige struggle with trying to control her laughter. "Yes. My real name's Patrice but people who want to keep breathing tend to call me Reese." She told the girl wryly. "You're obviously one of our team's best runners so I suggest you keep that in mind."

Paige nodded and took a deep breath, turning serious. "You're holding a study group?" She asked, debating whether or not to ask if she could join them. She knew she needed all the help she could get if she wanted to stay on the team.

"You can say that." Reese began. "I'm a junior in Wharton. Taking up dual concentrations in Accounting and Management. It's sort of our thing in this team and it was Coach Steve's idea. We're such a diverse group of student athletes so every year the older members of our team from each undergraduate school hold study groups for our younger teammates to make sure that we all maintain our GPAs. I'm in charge of the Wharton group this year. Usually a senior student conducts the study group but there's no senior from Wharton this year so I'm it." She explained. "Don't worry. It's not mandatory."

"Oh I'm not worried. I was actually going to ask if there's room for one more. I need all the help I can get." Paige admitted, deciding not to let the opportunity pass. "I'm in Wharton too. So can I join your group?"

Reese nodded. "We don't put a limit to the number of people in our study groups. Of course you can join us." She replied. She grabbed Paige's wrist to check the time on the girl's watch. "Actually if you don't have any plans right now we can hold a one-on-one study session so when you join us tonight you won't have a problem catching up with the discussion." She offered. "I don't have to pick up Brian for another hour and a half."

"That would be great. Yeah. I don't have any plans after this." Paige said, eager to get some studying done.

"Okay. First things first. Do you have your books or notes with you?" Reese asked. When Paige nodded, she continued. "Good. Let's head back to the lockers and change out of these clothes then we can go to Café Prima to study. It's a coffee shop in Harrison. That's where I live."

"I know that place. The college house not the café." Paige clarified, grabbing her duffel bag from the ground. "I actually know someone who lives there." She continued, her mind immediately drifting to Emily. Maybe she'll run into the girl again.

"Oh. Anyone I know?" Reese asked as they started to make their way back to the locker room.

"I doubt it. She's a freshman too. We went to high school together. She and her roommate." Paige added as she followed the girl inside.

"So I just let you join my study group... does that make up for me almost running you over this morning?" Reese asked, looking at Paige teasingly.

Paige smirked. "Aha! So you're admitting that you _were_ at fault." She concluded.

Reese shook her head. "You still need lessons on crossing the street but I won't deny that I was preoccupied that's why my reaction time was off." She explained as they rounded a corner.

"That's not even an apology." Paige said wryly.

"That's because it's not. You think I'm in the wrong, I think you're in the wrong. Let's just agree to disagree." Reese suggested.

Paige rolled her eyes. "I still can't believe you're the team captain." She muttered under her breath as she pushed the door open to the locker room and went inside ahead of Reese.

* * *

"Can you start today?" The blonde-haired guy seated behind the manager's desk in the back room of Café Prima asked Emily as he pushed back his eyeglasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Yes." Emily answered, nodding her head for emphasis.

Last week Emily decided to apply as a barista in the coffee shop at the lower level of her college house. She wanted to grab a cup of coffee before she headed back upstairs to the room she shared with Spencer so she went inside the café and she came across the help wanted sign. She figured it was the perfect job for her. She's had experience working as a barista at the Brew so she won't have any trouble working as one here. But the fact that the café was directly below where she lives added to its appeal. John, the coffee shop manager, called her in for a final interview a few minutes ago and decided to give her the afternoon shift starting today since she indicated in her schedule that she has afternoons free this semester.

"Good. West is going to show you the ropes around here. He's the guy with the dreadlocks out front." John said, standing up from his seat indicating the conversation was over. "Welcome to the Café Prima family." He added, extending a hand to Emily and giving the girl a warm smile.

"Thanks." Emily replied, shaking the guy's hand firmly before heading out front. She donned an apron before walking over to the guy with dreadlocks who was manning one of the cashiers. "Hi. You're West, right?" When the guy nodded, she continued. "I'm Emily. It's my first day here and John said you're supposed to show me the ropes."

"You know how to make coffee?" West asked without looking at Emily since he was tending to a customer paying for his coffee and sandwich.

"Yeah. I've worked as a barista in a coffee shop before." Emily admitted.

"That's good to hear. As you can see we're kinda swamped so I can't orient you right now." West said as he tended to another customer, still not looking at Emily.

"So what can I do to help?" Emily asked, her eyes taking in the sea of people inside and outside the shop. Café Prima is obviously a popular place to hang out among students.

"Aaron and Kit could use an extra hand with serving the customers so maybe you can help take orders and bus tables. Don't worry about the menu. Each table already has one printed on its surface. If you have questions don't hesitate to run things by me. Give a wave if a customer asks you a question you can't answer and I'll be with you as soon as I can." West instructed.

"Okay." Emily answered, looking at the long lines at the cashier.

"Good. Here's an order pad and pen. Several customers just walked in." West said, pointing vaguely to the crowd in front of them. "I promise I'll show you the ropes later when we're a little less swamped."

Emily nodded and tried to look for the group West was referring to as she stepped outside of the counter when she spotted a familiar brown-haired girl seated in a corner of the crowded room. She smiled and made her way towards Paige, eager to ask what she's doing there when she saw something that made her stop.

A tall girl with long, wavy, dark brown hair and attractive features grabbed the chair opposite Paige and placed it beside the girl instead, moving closer so she was practically rubbing elbows with Paige. _Are you kidding me?! We've been here barely two weeks and she's on a date already?!_

Emily debated whether or not to head over to the two girls, looking around for one of her co-workers who could take her place but Aaron and Kit were busy taking the orders of other customers. She was about to head back to the counter so she could help serve orders instead when the girl with Paige saw her and waved her over. Emily sighed and slowly made her way to the table, pasting a fake warm smile on her face.

"Good afternoon, my name's Emily. What can I get you?" Emily asked politely, pretending not to notice Paige as she trained her eyes solely on the other girl.

Paige looked up from the menu she was reading on the surface of the table when she heard Emily's voice and smiled when she saw that it was indeed the girl. "Hey!" She said in greeting.

"Paige?" Emily uttered, widening her eyes for effect as she feigned surprise upon seeing the girl.

"I take it you two know each other?" The attractive girl asked, looking at Paige and Emily back and forth.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. She's the girl I was telling you about. The one I went to high school with." She explained, her eyes never leaving Emily. It amazed her how a simple and worn out apron could look good on anyone but Emily pulled it off effortlessly.

_That's __**it**__?! I'm just __**some**__**girl**__ you went to high school with?!_ Emily hid her irritation and continued smiling. "That's me. Well me and my roommate." She added.

"Um Emily, this is Reese. Reese, Emily." Paige said, finally making the introductions. "Reese here is a junior and the self-appointed captain of our track team." She added, jutting her thumb to the girl seated to her left.

"Hey I wasn't self-appointed, newbie!" Reese protested, elbowing Paige on the side playfully. "But if you must know, I bribed Coach Steve with loads of coffee and bagel with cream cheese to be team captain." She added jokingly, making Paige laugh.

_Newbie? Seriously?! Her name's Paige!_ Emily fought the urge to roll her eyes at the two girls' bantering and cleared her throat loudly to remind them that she's still there. "I guess that answers the question of where did you two meet." She said, trying not to sound annoyed when the two girls looked at her. "Casual place for a first date."

Reese smiled. "Oh we're not on a date..."

"Right now." Paige continued, realizing that she would have to tell Emily that she's getting help with her studies this early in the semester if she told the truth and she was trying to change the girl's opinion of her. "We're just getting coffee until it's time for the movie." She added, hoping Reese would play along with her story.

Reese glanced at Paige then back at Emily. "That's right. We're seeing Casablanca at the revival theatre in a few hours. Totally romantic. Great for a first date." She added, scooting closer to Paige. She didn't know what the hell just happened but she understood that Paige had her reason for lying.

"That's... great." Emily said, trying to sound enthusiastic despite starting to feel uncomfortable again at the sight of Paige with a girl. "So can I take your orders?" She asked, itching to leave the company of the two girls.

"I'll just have a brewed coffee." Reese said before turning to Paige. "What's your poison? It's on me since I was the one who _asked you out_." She emphasized, trying to keep a straight face. "Espresso? Latte?"

Paige felt her cheeks redden in embarrassment and in an effort to hide it from the two girls, she looked down to study the menu on the surface of the table again, pinching the corners of her mouth with her thumb and middle finger as she tried to calm her nerves. "Um..."

Emily studied Paige's pink cheeks and tightened her grip on the pen she was holding in her hand. "Paige doesn't drink coffee." She answered for the blushing girl, ignoring Reese's look of amusement at the fact that she knows Paige's preference. Instead, she looked past Reese and straight into Paige's eyes when the girl looked at her. "A bottle of apple juice, right?" She asked knowingly.

Paige nodded. "Thanks." She said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear self-consciously. "I didn't know you work here." She added, trying to make conversation.

"First day." Emily answered curtly.

Reese looked at Emily then at Paige in amusement. "O-kay. I guess that covers the 'since when' question. Paige, do you want something to eat? We can share a cookie. They have the _best_ oatmeal raisin cookie here. Not only is it good for sharing, there's not much calories in it as well." Reese added, placing an arm loosely around Paige's shoulders to sell the girl's story better. She already had a vague idea about what was going on. "We'll have a cookie." She decided, not waiting for Paige to answer as she looked at Emily again.

"So that's one brewed coffee, a bottle of apple juice and one oatmeal raisin cookie." Emily repeated without writing anything down. "I'll be back with your orders." She said, giving the girls a thin smile before heading back to the counter.

* * *

"I am _so_ sorry." Paige told Reese once Emily was out of earshot. "I didn't mean to say that." She added, getting embarrassed again.

Reese grinned. "It's fine. I understand. You didn't want to look bad in front of the girl you like." She concluded, making Paige blush. "Since when?"

"Since I was thirteen." Paige admitted, stealing a glance at Emily and looking away when she saw the girl look at her.

"And she still doesn't know? That's a long time to like someone and not do anything about your feelings. How exactly do you know the hot, new barista again?" Reese asked, her curiosity piqued.

Paige sighed. "She's my best friend's girlfriend. _Was_ my best friend's girlfriend." She corrected herself. "My friend died a few months ago. Plane crash." She added.

Reese nodded thoughtfully. "Ah. Pining after your best friend's girl. Such a cliché." She commented, laughing lightly.

"I know." Paige agreed, burying her head in her hands before looking at Reese again.

"So now you're trying to make a move." Reese guessed. "Well telling her you're on a date with me won't help your situation."

"Yeah but I don't want her to know that I'm struggling with my classes already." Paige admitted. "My best friend was like this perfect everything and I don't want Emily to be disappointed. I'll find a way to tell her the truth but not right now."

"So what you're trying to say is that you want me to continue pretending we're on a date." Reese said, amused. "I have no problem helping you out. But let's get one thing clear. If I do this we're even."

"You almost ran me over!" Paige reminded the girl. "Pretending we're on a date right now isn't enough."

"But I also let you join my study group. _For the rest of your college life_." Reese added emphatically.

"Which would've been cut short this morning if you ran me over." Paige argued.

"But I didn't. I declare us even as of this moment." Reese said stubbornly. "What do you want to do now?"

"Can we go somewhere else to study?" Paige asked anxiously. "I won't be able to get any studying done here. I can't exactly take out my books with Emily around. She'd know something's up."

Reese pursed her lips. "I have an idea." She finally said, pushing her chair back. "Come on. We're getting out of here."

"Uh, where are we going?" Paige asked, grabbing Reese's arm before the girl could walk far.

"I'm taking you with me to Brian's soccer practice. We can study there until I have to take him home." Reese explained patiently. "Then you're going to treat me to dinner before we meet the rest of our teammates for the study group. Come on." She said, leading the way to the counter with Paige close behind.

* * *

Emily busied herself with transferring one oatmeal raisin cookie on a serving plate, trying to forget the sight of Paige blushing at something Reese said before the girl looked at her. Ever since she saw the two girls, Paige did nothing but blush around Reese and she looked like such a girl that it was unnerving to see Paige react that way.

"Hi. Emily, right?" Emily looked up from behind the counter when she heard the voice, surprised to see Reese standing in front of her.

"Yeah." Emily answered. "I'm sorry it's taking so long. I'm still trying to find my way around here." She said apologetically.

Reese shook her head. "It's fine. I just came over to say that we're changing our orders to go. I want to give Paige a more in depth tour of the campus before we catch that movie. If you know what I mean." She added, winking at Emily conspiratorially.

Emily fought the urge to tell the girl to go date someone who's closer to her age, reminding herself that it's none of her business who Paige hangs out with. "Oh. Okay. Just give me a sec then." She replied, pretending she didn't understand what Reese meant. She looked around the counter to find a paper bag for the cookie before pouring the girl's coffee in a paper cup. She grabbed a bottle of apple juice from the display fridge and deposited everything in front of West so he could ring up the purchase.

"Do you mind if I ask?" Reese blurted out before Emily could leave. There's still a line at the cashier and she wanted to take the opportunity to grill Emily about Paige while she waited for West to scan the items she bought. "Your friend Paige. What's she like? I just met her today so I'm actually glad we ran into you. You know. Someone from her past." She added, trying to gauge the girl's reaction.

Emily hid her annoyance at the girl for what she was trying to imply when she looked past Reese and saw Paige approaching them. "Sorry but I can't help you. I really don't know her that well." She replied, her gaze returning to the girl standing in front of her. "She's my girlfriend's best friend but we really didn't spend that much time together."

Reese nodded. "Got it. I guess I'll just have to find out for myself then." She said, taking out a twenty from her wallet and handing it to West to pay for the food, smiling at the guy as she did so. "I normally don't do relationships but I might make an exception just this once. I think I hit the jackpot with your friend. Paige is drop dead gorgeous among other things. Don't tell me you haven't noticed that."

Emily shrugged. "I haven't." She answered nonchalantly.

Reese studied the girl closely and chuckled. "I think you have. But just in case you really haven't, I suggest you start looking closer." She told the girl in a low voice. "Thanks. I just got everything I needed." Reese said in her normal voice, grabbing the pastry and the steaming cup of coffee from the counter. She was about to grab the bottle of apple juice for Paige when a slender hand appeared beside her.

"I got it." Paige said as she stepped up next to the girl. "May I talk to Emily for a sec?"

"Sure. I'll see you out front." Reese answered. "It was nice talking to you Emily." She added, giving the girl a knowing look before heading for the front door.

"I can see why you're so eager to go out with her." Emily commented as she watched Reese make her way around the crowded room. "Upperclassman, team captain. Plus she's really pretty."

Paige tore her eyes away from Emily to look behind her briefly before facing the girl again. "I guess. I haven't really noticed." She said offhandedly. "So do you want to grab a late dinner with me tonight?" Paige asked hopefully. "Maybe around nine?"

"You mean after your date with Reese?" Emily asked, annoyed. "No thanks but I already made plans with Spencer." She lied, not exactly in the mood to spend time with Paige when the girl was fresh from a first date. She would have to be polite and ask how the date went and she wasn't keen on pretending she's interested to hear all about it.

Paige frowned, wondering why Emily seemed to be in a foul mood now when just a few minutes ago the girl was fine. "Okay. I guess I'll just have dinner with Kayla then." She said as she studied Emily closely. "I better go. I don't want to keep Reese waiting outside for me. It's getting cold. Um, thanks for this." She added, raising the bottle of juice and waving it at Emily before heading for the front door.

_Ugh. Movie with Reese then dinner with Kayla? Seriously?! Why do you keep hanging out with girls who like you?!_ Emily thought as she watched Paige's retreating back. _And why do I care?!_

Emily instinctively touched the locket on her necklace as she watched Paige exit the café. When they were in high school she got used to being treated by Jai like a girl and seeing Paige treat girls like girls despite the two best friends being girls. If that made any sense. Now she was seeing someone treat Paige like one and she felt weird again. Like when she saw Paige with Kayla. Apparently it didn't matter who the girl is with. It just bothered her to see Paige with any girl. And now Paige snagged a junior who also happens to be the captain of the track team and she's the one being treated like a girl. _How can I compete with that?_

Emily bit her bottom lip and gripped the locket tighter. _What's the matter with you? Why would you want to compete?_

* * *

Paige checked the time on her watch when she was done locking her bike to one of the bicycle racks beside Huntsman Hall on Thursday afternoon, praying that she won't have trouble looking for the room where the lecture for her MGMT100 class is once she was inside the building. She hurriedly made her way to the side entrance and looked for the nearest set of stairs, taking them two at a time until she reached the third floor. She scanned each room number as she made her way down the corridors and breathed a huge sigh of relief when she finally found the right room.

_Oh thank god_. Paige thought as she entered the lecture hall. She scanned the spacious room for an empty seat and made a beeline for one of the chairs in the third row in front when she saw a guy make his way towards the same spot. _Not today pal_. She wasn't in the track team for nothing.

"Sorry but this seat's taken." Paige declared as she deposited her messenger bag unceremoniously on top of the desk just as the guy touched the back of the chair.

Emily looked up from the book she was reading and studied the two people fighting over the vacant seat next to hers.

"Yeah. I saved that spot for her." Emily told the guy apologetically when she saw Paige.

"Whatever." The guy muttered, looking around the room for another vacant seat and making his way towards another girl seated by herself at the back of the room.

"Fancy meeting you here. I thought you said the only afternoon class you have this semester is on Fridays?" Paige asked when she was seated beside Emily, smiling at the girl quizzically.

"I did." Emily answered once she got over her surprise at seeing the girl. "But I decided to change schedules with this subject at the last minute." She explained.

"Because…" Paige trailed off, waiting for Emily's explanation.

"Because I need to attend the recitation class of this subject on Friday mornings instead so I could go home to Rosewood by Friday afternoon. I want to visit Jai's grave as often as I can when I'm there so this way, I get to visit her when I get home Friday night and then on Sunday afternoon again before I leave." Emily admitted. "I checked and the only lecture class still open with that kind of recitation class schedule is this one so I changed lecture classes. Now Thursdays is when I have my only afternoon class."

"Right." Paige uttered, her smile faltering when she heard Emily's reason. "Well then I'm glad that the only class you have in the afternoon is with me." She added, thinking at least she got Emily as a classmate in one of her classes this semester.

"So what's the concentration you're planning to take?" Emily asked, inclining her head to the side. "I didn't know you applied to Wharton too."

"Well Physics and Calculus aren't really my forte so Engineering is out. I don't have the makings of someone in the field of Medicine so Nursing is out for me too. It's either Arts and Sciences or Wharton actually and the courses in Wharton seemed more interesting to me." Paige explained.

"But... you don't know what you want to major on just yet." Emily said slowly.

"Not yet. But I still have two years to decide and Reese is helping me." Paige admitted, embarrassed that she seemed undecided to Emily.

Emily nodded and faced forward, debating whether or not to ask how the date went. She wanted to know but she didn't know what she wanted to hear. She finally faced Paige again and tried her best to seem nonchalant. "Speaking of. How was your date last night?" She asked, holding her breath as she waited for the girl's answer.

"Date?" Paige asked before she remembered her lie. "Oh. You mean my date with Reese. It went great." She replied, praying Emily won't ask her about what she thought of Casablanca because she didn't know anything about the film.

"You had fun?" Emily asked, trying to seem unaffected.

"I did." Paige answered. "In fact, I had so much fun that I'm considering going out with her again some time." She added in case Emily saw her with Reese again. She made a mental note to give her team captain a heads up later about the new lie she told.

Emily felt her insides squirm when she heard Paige's answer but she chose to ignore it. "Some time. But not tonight, right? Do you have plans with her tonight?" She asked timidly.

Paige shook her head. "Nope. Why?" She asked, giving Emily a puzzled look.

"I was wondering if maybe we could have that dinner tonight instead." Emily suggested. "The one you invited me to yesterday?" She added in case Paige already forgot.

"Uh. Sure. But are you okay with eating a home-cooked meal?" Paige asked, looking at Emily hesitantly.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?" Emily replied, creasing her eyebrows at Paige quizzically.

"Well Kayla's cooking dinner at my place tonight." Paige admitted.

"Oh. Then we should have dinner some other time. I don't want to intrude." Emily said hurriedly, hiding her disappointment.

"You're not." Paige told the girl reassuringly. "Kayla won't mind if you join us for dinner and it's about time you tasted her cooking."

"I don't know." Emily said slowly. It sounded like Kayla planned the night so she could spend more time with Paige and Emily didn't want to see the two girls acting all chummy again in front of her.

"Em, come on. Clearly you don't have plans for dinner tonight since you invited me. So now I'm inviting you. You don't have an excuse to say no." Paige pointed out.

Emily bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling. Paige just called her 'Em' for the first time and she liked hearing the girl call her by her nickname. "Fine." She said, finally finding an excuse to grin when Paige pumped her right fist in jubilation.

"And you could bring Spencer along if you want." Paige offered.

Emily shook her head. "Spencer already has plans." She explained. "What time should I come over?"

"Around eight." Paige answered, taking her phone out to send a message to Kayla that Emily's joining them for dinner just as their professor entered the room to begin their lecture.

* * *

At exactly eight o'clock that night, Emily found herself seated in front a lavish spread of steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes and grilled chicken, her mouth watering from the aroma. She looked at the girl seated next to her in front of the island kitchen countertop, her smile conveying her surprise and admiration of Kayla's cooking skills while Jai's sister continued moving around Paige's kitchen, her back turned to them.

"Wow. You really went all out with this." Emily commented when Kayla finally faced them with a gravy boat in one hand. "I don't even know how you managed to grill the chicken." She added, looking around Paige's kitchen for any sign of a griller but she didn't find one.

"This building has a grill area." Kayla revealed as she placed the gravy boat in front of Emily. "I figured I shouldn't let it go to waste so I decided to make use of it tonight."

"Well these smell amazing. I'm glad I let Paige talk me into joining the two of you for dinner tonight." Emily admitted, smiling at Kayla fondly.

"Thanks." Kayla said, grinning at the girl proudly. "Cooking's kinda my thing. Jai's got her smarts; I've got my culinary skills."

"I can see that." Emily replied, her smile waning.

"Hey why don't you pull up a chair so we can start eating?" Paige told Kayla hurriedly when she saw Emily's smile falter at the mere mention of Jai's name. She lifted the plate of steamed vegetables and handed it to Emily, giving the girl a small smile.

They began eating in silence until Kayla decided to break the solemn atmosphere in the room. "So Em. Your birthday's coming up next week. What do you want to do?" She asked, looking at one of the two girls seated in front of her. "We can go out, check out some clubs. Or if you're in the mood for something different I know some great places we can check out in the gayborhood."

Emily stopped slicing a piece off the portion of chicken in her plate and looked at Kayla. "The gayborhood?" She repeated, giving the girl a curious stare.

"It's the area on this side of Philly just past Rittenhouse Square." Paige explained. "They call it the gayborhood because it's the heart of the LGBTQ community."

"Oh." Emily uttered. "Um... that place sounds great. I definitely don't mind checking it out some time." She said as she resumed slicing a piece off her chicken. "I haven't really thought about what I'm doing for my birthday. To be honest I don't feel like celebrating." She added, not meeting Kayla and Paige's eyes as she poured more gravy on her mashed potatoes.

"What?! But that day only comes once a year! You should totally celebrate! I know this club... ow!" Kayla exclaimed, gripping her ankle suddenly. She looked at Paige who was giving her a death glare and glared back at the girl, rubbing her ankle gingerly.

_Stop talking_. Paige mouthed to Kayla when she noticed that Emily's expression changed from curious to wistful. The girl didn't even react to the exchange between her and Kayla just now because Emily's mind was probably on the last time she celebrated her birthday. With Jai.

"Uh, so. How do you like your new gig as the hot, new barista in Café Prima?" Paige asked, nudging Emily gently in an effort to bring the girl out of her stupor. "Reese's words not mine." She hurriedly explained when she saw Emily's look of surprise.

Emily shrugged. "Okay. It's really not that different from my job at the Brew so I got the hang of it pretty fast." She replied, pushing the food around her plate. For some reason she wasn't so hungry anymore. "But it's better because I live in the same building."

"You got a job already?" Kayla asked after she took a sip of her water. "That's cool. Congrats."

"Thanks. I think." Emily added, shaking her head wryly. "So does Kayla know about your date last night?" She asked Paige, turning the swivel chair she was sitting on so she could face the girl next to her.

Paige grabbed the glass of water in front of her and drank it to help push the food she was chewing when she felt her mouth go dry. She didn't expect Emily to bring up Reese in front of Kayla and judging from the expression of the girl seating in front of her, she was in for a game of twenty questions starting now. She had to do something. Fast. "Um..."

"No. I don't. You went on a date?" Kayla asked, not giving Paige a chance to speak. "With who? Is this girl supposed to make you forget about your feelings for the other one?"

"Oh. So you know about Dominique too." Emily said before Paige could react.

_Crap_. The conversation was starting to have a life of its own. Paige saw Kayla's look of confusion and acted before the girl could ask who Dominique is.

"Ow!" Emily exclaimed, grabbing her ankle. "Paige did you really have to kick me? I can take a subtle hint like a slight shake of your head if you want me not to say anything about Dominique." She reprimanded the girl while rubbing her ankle.

"Sorry." Paige uttered, feeling her cheeks flush in embarrassment. Of course she miscalculated and kicked Emily instead. "Can we please just find something else to talk about other than my love life?" She pleaded.

"What's more interesting than you dating an _upperclassman_?" Emily asked, putting emphasis on the fact that Paige was seeing someone older than them.

"I don't know... the weather?" Paige suggested. "Have either of you noticed that it's been raining a lot lately?" She began, looking at the two girls with feigned fascination. "Or we can just go back to eating in silence." She muttered under her breath when Emily and Kayla just stared at her unresponsively.

* * *

An hour later, Emily was back in her room in Harrison, sitting cross-legged in the middle of her bed as she stared miserably at the rectangular wooden box in front of her. She turned her head to the side and her gaze landed on her bedside table where a framed photo she brought along from Rosewood of her and Jai sat. She leaned in close to take the frame but pulled back when she heard the bathroom door open.

"Hey. I didn't hear you come in. How was dinner?" Spencer asked as she closed the bathroom door behind her.

"Okay. Kayla could start her own restaurant if she wanted." Emily answered, smiling at her friend weakly.

"Then why does it look like you just got food poisoning?" Spencer inquired, studying her friend closely. "What happened?"

Emily shook her head, unable to tell the girl what's really bothering her. Instead, she lifted the lid of the wooden box and stared at the contents inside, her gaze landing on the party hat Jai asked her to wear last year. She took it out and wistfully studied it before deciding to put it on.

_...I just wish I didn't have to leave so early... I wanted to celebrate your birthday with you..._

_...Jai it's fine. It's just one birthday. When you get back we get to celebrate my birthdays for years to come..._

_For years to come_. "Over dinner Kayla reminded me that my birthday's next week." Emily said absentmindedly, her gaze never leaving the contents of the wooden box in front of her. It held all of the memories she made with Jai over the years and she decided to bring it with her when she went to Miami last summer and now here in UPenn. "She didn't mean anything bad by it. She just wanted to know what I was doing to celebrate." She continued softly.

Emily felt Spencer's arm around her shoulders and she let the tears fall. "_I miss her_." She whispered brokenly, crying on Spencer's shoulder as the girl rubbed her back gently. "I thought I was going to be fine... being here without Jai. But I'm not." She said in between sobs. "I'm not okay. I really miss her."

"Em..." Spencer uttered, holding her friend closer. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay." She said soothingly, letting her friend weep in her arms. "I'm sorry. I should've known." Spencer whispered, racked with guilt that she didn't see how much her friend was still struggling with everything despite smiling and laughing.

* * *

"_I'm sorry_. How many times do I have to say it?" Kayla asked as she stood beside Paige in front of the kitchen sink. "I didn't know Jai's still a sore subject when it came to Em."

"Jai's her first love. You don't get over someone that easily." Paige ranted as she furiously scraped the plates clean before placing them inside the dishwasher. "And you've seen how in love they were. It doesn't take a genius to know that Emily's just putting on a brave face when she's around us." She pointed out, slamming the door of the dishwasher close with more force than she intended as she grew even more agitated. She felt stupid that she had to remind herself of these things when she's supposed to have known it all this time.

Kayla studied Paige's rigid posture and stood up straight. She needed to do something to lessen the girl's distress. "Fine. I'll go call Emily now and apologize. Just... calm down and stop being mad at me." She pleaded, moving to get her phone from the front pocket of her denim cutoffs.

Paige sighed and ran a hand through her hair resignedly. "Kayla I'm not mad at you." She said, touching the girl's wrist to stop her from dialing Emily's number.

"Then why haven't you said anything to me since dinner and now you're biting my head off for being insensitive?" Kayla asked wryly. "You're mad."

"But not at you." Paige said softly. "I'm mad at myself because I can't seem to make things better for her." She admitted, looking away.

"Paige it's not your _job_ to make things better for her." Kayla reminded the girl quietly. "You can't shield Emily from the pain of losing Jai."

"Then what am I supposed to do? I don't want to just stand by and watch her suffer. It's killing me." Paige said helplessly.

"You're not a mere bystander. You know that." Kayla pointed out, touching Paige on the arm to force the girl to look at her. "Paige your being there for Emily ever since Jai died makes a difference already. Even if she's still struggling, you're there to make her smile and that matters. Trust me." She said, giving the girl a quick hug. "Now who's this Reese person?" She asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest and looking at Paige quizzically.

"She's the captain of the track team and Emily saw us together in Café Prima yesterday afternoon." Paige explained as she headed for the couch in the living room.

Kayla followed after Paige, confused. "What were you two doing there?" She inquired. "She asked you out? You asked her out?" She continued, starting to get jealous of this Reese girl. The only reason she was still keeping mum about her feelings for Paige is because she's waiting to see if anything comes out of the girl trying to make a move on Emily. If things don't work out for Paige... if Emily says no to her, then Paige would get her answer and maybe the girl would finally notice her. There was no room for a track and field team captain in her scenario.

"No one asked anyone out." Paige admitted sheepishly, adding to Kayla's confusion. "Reese and I were actually there to get some studying done. Turns out there are study groups in our team for all the undergraduate schools in UPenn and Reese is the one in-charge of the Wharton group. She was going to help me catch up with the rest of my teammates under her before we had to meet as a group last night but then we ran into Emily at the café and she thought I was on a date..."

"So why didn't you correct her?" Kayla asked, giving Paige a quizzical look.

Paige wearily sat down on the couch. "I don't want her to know that I already need help with my studies when the semester's hardly begun. What would she think?" She asked anxiously.

"But you'll tell her the truth eventually, right? Paige?" Kayla asked, looking down at the distressed girl sitting on the couch. "You're going to tell her that the thing with Reese was just a lie and that she's the only girl you like. Right?" She repeated anxiously.

"What's the point?" Paige asked, refusing to meet Kayla's eyes. "You saw Emily tonight. She's nowhere near ready to move on." She said dejectedly.

* * *

_Three Years Ago..._

Emily hurriedly navigated the hallways of Rosewood High, eager to reach the parking lot to meet her girlfriend. School was over for the day and Jai was going to take her out to dinner at some fancy restaurant outside of town to celebrate her birthday. But first she had to make a quick stop at her locker so she could return and then get some of her books. As she rounded a corner, Emily saw something near the end of the hall that made her slow down her pace. There, standing in front of the opposite row of lockers from hers, was none other than Jai's best friend, Paige McCullers. The girl hasn't seen her yet. _Good_.

Stopping in the middle of the corridor, Emily debated whether or not to continue heading towards her locker or to just head for the exit without returning her books and getting the ones she would need to do her homework tonight. _If I don't get my books, Jai's going to wonder why I need to borrow hers when we do our homework later. You have no choice. You can do this_. Steeling herself, Emily resumed walking towards her locker, aware that she was trying to remain inconspicuous by walking slowly so her shoes won't make a sound on the polished floor. They were the only ones in the corridor now, if that even seemed possible. It was like they were transported to a vacuum space and everyone else disappeared and it was just them. She tried to regulate her breathing; feeling like any sound she made would alert Paige that she's there.

Emily grimaced when she heard the sole of her right shoe squeak and she held her breath, waiting for the girl to look her way and start giving her a hard time. She thought the day was going to come to an end without her running into Jai's best friend and she preferred it that way. Because seeing the girl and Paige calling her Sniffles was going to ruin her day and she didn't want to be in a foul mood on her birthday. When Paige didn't seem to hear her just now, Emily felt silly for being so paranoid and finally decided to make a dash for it since there was no way that Paige wouldn't hear the sound of her locker opening and closing behind her.

Once she was standing in front of her locker, Emily took a deep breath and dialed the combination, straining her ears for any sound coming from behind her. She pulled open the metal door and returned her books, quickly taking out the ones she would need before closing the door as silently as it would allow her. She bit her bottom lip and held her books closer to her chest, dreading having to turn around because Paige could be staring at her right this second, just waiting until they were standing face-to-face before starting to make fun of her.

_You can do this. Just ignore her_. Emily told herself. She counted to three and finally turned around, her eyes immediately landing on Paige whose back was still turned to her as the girl continued rummaging the contents of her own locker. Emily jumped back when Paige suddenly closed her locker door, feeling exposed. Standing there just across the hall from Paige, she felt like she was a sitting duck and she wanted to run and hide but she was frozen in place. Emily breathed a sigh of relief when Paige turned around and she saw that the girl's head was currently buried deep in a book. _Must be the reason why she didn't notice me_. Paige was engrossed in whatever she was reading.

Emily followed Paige's progress when it became obvious that the girl was headed for the front exit as well, making sure that she kept her distance from the girl walking in front of her. When another girl called out to Paige just as they were nearing the exit, Emily took the opportunity to slip past Jai's best friend unnoticed as the other girl engaged Paige in a conversation. _Oh bless you, you flirtatious creature_. Emily mentally said to the girl talking to Paige when their eyes met. She quickly made her way down the steps and felt a sense of relief when she saw Jai pull up in front of her in Logan's royal blue V8 Vantage S Coupe Aston Martin.

"Your carriage awaits, milady." Jai said in greeting from the rolled down car window, smiling at Emily affectionately.

Emily grinned as she opened the car door of the passenger side and got in, placing her books and bag on her lap as she struggled to buckle her seatbelt.

"Ready to go?" Jai asked, looking at Emily eagerly.

"Yeah." Emily replied as she moved to roll up the car window, her eyes landing on the school entrance. She was about to look away when she saw Paige emerge from behind the door and look straight into her eyes, like the girl knew where she was all along. Bracing herself for one of Paige's trademark smirk and glare, she was surprised when Paige just looked away and descended the steps, heading towards the opposite direction with her head down.

_So she __**did**__ see me. Why did she pretend she didn't until now?_

* * *

_Present Day..._

Emily reluctantly opened her eyes on Monday morning, dreading having to get up and face the day. She wished it was still Sunday and that she was still sitting in front of Jai's grave, waiting until the clock struck twelve. She'd rather sleep the entire day until it was Tuesday but she had classes and swim practice and work. She wanted this day to be over even if it hasn't even begun.

"Birthday breakfast!" Spencer exclaimed from their bedroom door as she closed it behind her using her foot. She walked over to Emily and sat on the edge of her friend's bed with a cup of coffee and a muffin. "They didn't have mint chocolate chip cupcake in Café Prima so I bought a blueberry muffin instead. Happy birthday Em."

Emily got up into a sitting position and smiled. "Thanks." She replied, taking the cup of coffee and muffin from her friend. She placed the muffin on her bedside table and wrapped her hands on the cup of coffee, inhaling its aroma and enjoying the warmth of the cup in her hands.

"We are going to celebrate all day." Spencer declared, vowing to make her friend enjoy her birthday despite knowing that Emily wasn't really looking forward to today. "We're gonna have a birthday lunch and a birthday dinner. My treat."

"Spence you don't have to do that." Emily said hurriedly.

"Em I'm one of your best friends. If Hanna and Aria were here you know they'd insist on spending the entire day with you too." Spencer pointed out. "Come on. It's your birthday. We should celebrate."

"I'm not really in the mood to go out tonight." Emily admitted.

"Then we'll just have dinner here. Hawaiian pizza anyone?" Spencer coaxed.

Emily sighed. She knew Spencer wasn't going to take no for an answer and her friend was trying to make her feel better about today so she nodded. "Okay. Hawaiian pizza party for two." She said, smiling when her friend gave her a brief hug.

"Great! We'll wear our pajamas and it'll be like when we were ten." Spencer promised before getting up. "I'm taking a shower first while you enjoy your breakfast."

"Lunch is on me." Emily called after her friend. "Dinner's on you." She added before the girl could protest.

Spencer nodded. "Deal." She replied. "You better answer that." She said, nodding her head towards Emily's study table when she saw her friend's phone vibrate. "And keep your phone with you at all times. You know there are a lot of people who want to greet you today." She added before locking the bathroom door behind her.

Emily got up from her bed and walked over to her study table, putting down her cup of coffee on the surface before grabbing her phone to see who was calling. She smiled when she saw the name and eagerly sat down on the edge of her bed before answering it. "Hey." She said in greeting.

"Hey." Paige repeated. "Did I wake you up?" She asked uncertainly. "You sound like you just woke up."

Emily shook her head. "No." She replied when she remembered that Paige couldn't see her. "I mean yeah I just woke up but it was before you called. What's up?" She asked, expecting Paige to greet her.

"Nothing much. Um... I just need your help with something." Paige answered slowly.

"My help?" Emily repeated, frowning. She thought Paige called because the girl remembered what today is. "Help on what?"

"I need your opinion. You love horror movies. Right?" Paige asked.

"Yeah." Emily answered, waiting for the girl to continue.

"So you probably know the best ones." Paige concluded. "Is there a horror movie you haven't seen yet?"

"Not really. I've seen most of it." Emily admitted, wondering where Paige was going with her questions.

"Okay then, what's your all-time favorite?" Paige inquired.

Emily bit her bottom lip, thinking back to all the horror movies she's seen. "Um... if I have to choose just one... well it's a really old film. And it's rare. I don't know if you've heard of it. Repulsion?" She said, waiting for Paige to react.

"Repulsion." Paige repeated like she was saying it to someone else.

"Yeah. Why?" Emily asked, getting curious as to what Paige was up to.

"It's highly recommended?" Paige continued, ignoring Emily's question.

"Yeah." Emily replied.

"Do you have a DVD of it or something?" Paige asked.

Emily creased her eyebrows in confusion. "No. Why?" She asked again.

"Oh." Paige muttered before the line went silent.

"Paige? Are you still there?" Emily asked, moving the phone away from her ear for a second to check if the call has ended. "Why are you asking?" She said when she saw that Paige is still on the line.

"I was hoping I could borrow it so Reese and I could watch it tonight." Paige finally answered.

Emily gripped her phone tighter. "Why? Does she love horror movies like you?" She asked, surprised that her voice sounded normal despite the annoyance she was feeling. This wasn't the conversation she wanted to have with Paige right now.

"No but she insisted that we watch one. She said it could be fun watching with the lights turned off especially when the scary parts come on." Paige explained.

Emily rolled her eyes. "I bet." She muttered under her breath, unable to believe that an upperclassman would use such a lame move just to get a freshman to sleep with her. And that Paige is so vulnerable not to see what the girl was trying to do.

"What's that? I thought I heard you say something." Paige said uncertainly.

"You're probably hearing things. I didn't say anything." Emily lied, starting to get irritated. "Is that the only reason you called?" She asked, still hoping that the girl would remember what today is before Paige ended the call.

"Yeah. That's the only reason." Paige repeated. "Thanks for the help. I'll go rent one now."

"Wait." Emily said, for some reason anxious to keep Paige on the line. "Like I said it's a rare film. I don't think you can find one this late so you should just see that film some other time. Maybe you could see a comedy film instead at the theatre where there are lots of people." She suggested, her tone sounding a little too insistent to her dismay.

"Don't worry about it. I won't stop looking until I find one." Paige said determinedly. "Thanks again. Bye."

"Wait, Paige!" Emily called out but the girl already hung up on her. She sighed and stared at the phone in her hand. Paige didn't even remember her birthday. And to top it off, the only reason the girl called just now was because she wanted Emily's help for a movie date tonight with Reese, her attractive junior team captain. Emily touched the locket on her necklace again, a feeling of loneliness overwhelming her.

* * *

"They don't have Repulsion on DVD here." Reese reported as she approached Paige from the back of the store.

"Are you sure? Maybe the clerk heard you wrong." Paige said as she pocketed her phone.

Reese rolled her eyes at Paige in exasperation. "_Yeah_. 'Coz there is just so many ways you can say _Repulsion_ that he didn't understand me the first time I asked him." She said sarcastically. "Are you sure you can't just give her a different horror film? How about this?" She suggested, grabbing a DVD displayed on one of the racks and handing it to Paige. "That seems scary. It's the thought that counts."

"Just because it says Scary Movie on the cover doesn't mean it's scary." Paige pointed out dryly, returning the DVD on the rack. "She said Repulsion's her all-time favorite horror film so I'm getting her that."

"But they don't have it here." Reese repeated.

"Do you know of any other video stores around the city?" Paige asked, looking at Reese thoughtfully.

"Yeah but the ones I know are far from here." Reese pointed out.

Paige suddenly grinned. "That's why I asked if you're free this morning." She revealed, making Reese stare at her in open-mouthed shock. "Come on. You have a car. And you know the city more than I do."

"You _do_ realize that I'm a junior. _And_ I'm your team captain." Reese reminded Paige, the amusement evident in her voice. "I shouldn't be taking orders from you, newbie."

Paige shook her head. "Sorry but to me you will always be that girl who almost ran me over." She replied.

"And you will always be that girl who never learned how to cross the street properly." Reese shot back. "Just give her any horror movie for crying out loud. I don't understand why you're making such a big fuss over this. It's just her birthday."

"Actually, it's not. It's her first birthday that I could actually give her a gift." Paige finally admitted. "I never could do that when she was with my best friend. I felt it was inappropriate so in the past this became the one day I didn't bother her."

Reese looked at Paige quizzically. "As opposed to the other days you did? What exactly went on with you two?" She asked.

"I was horrible to her back in high school. Things gradually changed our senior year but for three years I was horrible to her." Paige confessed. "I know it's stupid but I had to find a way to stop myself from liking her and that's the solution I came up with. For her to hate me so much that she herself would be the one to constantly remind me why she would never fall for me."

"And now you're trying to make up for lost time." Reese concluded. She studied Paige for a second then sighed. "_Fine_. I'll drive you around the city until you find that Repulsion film."

"Really?" Paige uttered, starting to grin.

"Yes. _Really_. You hot, adorable mess." Reese said, placing one hand on Paige's shoulder. "I hope Emily knows how lucky she is. You're pretty awesome."

Paige felt her cheeks grow warm. "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself." She admitted as she followed the girl outside the store.

"Not so fast newbie. You're not paying me back for this with that lame compliment. You're treating me to lunch. _And_ breakfast by the way since you pulled me out of my girlfriend's house this morning." Reese reminded the girl.

"Yeah. Sorry about that." Paige said sheepishly.

"Nah it's cool. We've been together close to four years and she never once cared whenever I leave in the middle of breakfast." Reese said offhandedly.

Paige glanced at the girl walking next to her as they reached the spot where Reese parked her car. "Four years, huh? That's..."

"Long?" Reese interjected wryly.

Paige shook her head. "No. I was going to say shocking. That you found someone who could tolerate you and that she stuck around for four years." She added teasingly. "Word of advice. _Don't ever let her go_."

Reese let out a laugh. "Don't worry. I don't plan to." She said before unlocking the car doors and getting in.

* * *

Emily emerged from the Pottruck Fitness Center that afternoon, fresh from another swim practice in the Sheerr Pool with her teammates. Although it was only mid-September and the first swim meet isn't until November, their coach is already subjecting the entire team to a rigorous training that left her muscles sore. Her body was still getting used to the new routine but she had to remind herself that college athletics is on a completely different level. The competition is much fiercer and she had to improve her times and skills if she wanted to keep up with the rest of the team.

"Come join the annual dance marathon hosted by Penn Dance. It's for a good cause." Emily took the flyer the girl was handing to her and stared at it.

"Dance through the ages?" Emily said as she scanned the material and fixed the strap of her duffel bag on her shoulder.

"If you're interested to participate it's going to be held at the Platt Student Performing Arts House next month. It's from six a.m. to six p.m. We encourage participants to dress up in any era they want to. You can wear dresses from the sixties or seventies. Even futuristic." The girl explained enthusiastically as she handed several flyers to other passersby.

"Proceeds will go to the Gray Matter Foundation." Emily read at the bottom of the flyer, her mouth going dry.

"You probably haven't heard of it. I swear it's not made up. It's a new foundation started early this year by one of UPenn's benefactors, Dr. Logan Hayes. We decided to donate the proceeds to the foundation this year since his late wife was one of our alumni in Penn Dance even though the foundation was started in memory of his oldest daughter." The girl continued, oblivious to Emily's distress.

"No I, uh... I've heard of it." Emily said, her eyes never leaving the flyer. "I know their daughter. _Knew_. I knew their daughter." She corrected herself hoarsely.

"Oh. Good. Then you know it's a really good cause. You should register and join. Tickets are sold all over campus like at the bookstore and at dining establishments." The girl supplied.

"Thanks. Maybe I will." Emily said, giving the girl a faint smile before walking past her and folding the flyer. She placed the folded piece of paper in the front pocket of her jeans and took out her phone when she felt it vibrate. She glanced at the display and felt slightly better when she saw who was calling. "Hey."

"Hey." Paige repeated from the other end of the line. "Did I catch you at a bad time? You don't sound too happy. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine. What's up?" Emily asked, starting to feel optimistic. Maybe Paige remembered now that's why she's calling. After all, when Kayla called her earlier today Emily hinted that some people may have forgotten what today is. "Did Kayla call you?" She added just to check if her hunch was right.

"Kayla? Yeah. Just now actually. Why?" Paige asked.

Emily fidgeted with the strap of her duffel bag. "No reason." She replied nonchalantly. "What did she tell you?"

"Nothing important. She just asked if I was forgetting something about today. Turns out I was. Did she call you to remind me too?" Paige inquired.

Emily frowned. "No. But, uh, what was it that you forgot? Did you remember?" She asked as she continued walking towards her college house for her shift at Café Prima.

"I did. I should've remembered it earlier today but I spaced out. I forgot it was my turn to buy the ingredients for our dinner tonight. But no worries. I'm on it." Paige said confidently.

Emily abruptly stopped in her tracks and gripped her phone tighter. It's official. She was having a really bad day. "If you remembered already then why did you even call?" She asked, starting to get annoyed.

"Oh. I'm glad you asked. I sort of need your help again. Cupcakes. What's your stand on them?" Paige inquired.

_Cupcakes? She seriously called me to ask about cupcakes?! What's going on with Paige today?_ "I love them." Emily admitted.

"Frosting or no frosting?" Paige asked.

"Frosting. Lots of frosting." Emily answered.

"Hmm. Okay. Cupcakes with lots of frosting." Paige repeated. "And what would you say are your top three flavors?"

Emily creased her eyebrows in confusion, wondering why Paige is playing a game of twenty questions with her. "Uh... Chocolate Chip Mint, Caramel Apple and Blueberry Cheesecake." She finally answered.

"Cho...co...late... Chip... Mint. Ca...ra...mel... Ap...ple. Blue...berry... Cheese...cake." Paige repeated slowly.

"Why do you ask?" Emily inquired.

"Well I don't know the first thing about cupcakes and Reese wanted me to come over with half a dozen tonight. She's not big into popcorns when watching a movie but she said she loves cupcakes. I just needed help with the flavors. There's a lot here and I have no idea which flavors to choose." Paige explained.

Emily closed her eyes in frustration. Of course the phone call was about Paige's big date with Reese. "So you're coming over to her place tonight with a movie and a box of cupcakes. What's she bringing to this date again?" She asked, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

"Well her sense of humor for one. Then there's her wit and sarcasm so all in all that's three. _And_ she's got a home theatre system so I really don't mind coming over with cupcakes overflowing with frosting." Paige answered.

"You know what? Maybe you should go easy on the frosting. Sometimes it's better if there's no frosting at all." Emily suggested anxiously, trying to erase the mental image of Reese leaning forward to remove a leftover frosting on the corner of Paige's mouth with her lips.

"But you said lots of frosting is the way to go. I'm taking your advice." Paige insisted.

"I meant _I_ love frostings. You don't know if Reese does and just to be safe maybe you should bring over plain ones. Or..." Emily paused, struck with a better idea. "Or... just have them _store-bought_. Like those ready-to-eat cupcakes you see on grocery aisles." She suggested.

"But those are cheap ones." Paige argued. "I'm not buying those. I'm buying the flavors you suggested from a gourmet cupcake store."

Emily sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "Paige..."

"Yeah?" Paige uttered, waiting for her to continue.

_I'm not comfortable seeing you hang out with Reese_. Emily thought as she placed her hand inside the front pocket of her jeans. "There's this dance marathon next month sponsored by Penn Dance." She said instead when her fingers grazed the edges of the flyer the girl handed to her earlier. "And the proceeds will go to Jai's foundation. I was thinking..."

"Em, I gotta go." Paige interjected. "I'm next in line. I'll talk to you later. Thanks again for the help."

"Wait, Paige..." Emily trailed off when the line went dead. _Worst. Birthday. Ever_. She thought, disappointed.

* * *

"Wow. I didn't know I was loaded." Reese commented as she handed Paige the box of cupcakes she was carrying together with the list of flavors the girl gave her earlier. "That would be ten bucks for the three cupcakes." She added, extending her hand to the girl. "But seriously? A home theatre system?"

"I know. I'm sorry." Paige uttered as she returned her phone in the front pocket of her jeans and took out her wallet, handing Reese ten dollars before taking the box from the girl. "Thanks. And again, sorry for dragging you into this. I just needed her to buy the idea that I'm doing all of this for our so-called date tonight." She explained sheepishly.

"Yeah but did you have to make it sound like I'm living in luxury? I live in the same college house as her." Reese reminded the girl warily.

"But she doesn't know that." Paige pointed out. "And I'm going to come clean to Emily tonight once I meet her." She promised.

"About everything?" Reese asked, raising an eyebrow.

Paige grimaced. "Well everything about today." She corrected. "Sorry I made you miss your classes."

Reese shook her head. "It's cool. I only have one class on Mondays so I have no problem catching up. I can't exactly leave you running around the city, newbie." She said wryly. "You should worry about your studies rather than mine. You're the one who missed all of your classes this afternoon."

"I didn't know Repulsion would be so hard to find." Paige admitted.

Reese tapped Paige on the shoulder lightly. "Hey. Cheer up. You're part of my study group. We'll help you catch up in no time." She told the girl confidently.

Paige let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks. You don't know how much all of this means to me." She said, giving Reese a small smile. "And you didn't have to come here with me. You could've just dropped me off. So thanks for that too."

Reese shrugged. "Well I was about to drive away when this nagging thought occurred to me. _What if the flavors Emily wanted weren't here?_ So I decided to stick around in case you needed to go to a different store." She admitted.

"I'll make it up to you one of these days." Paige promised.

"I'll keep that in mind. I just might take you up on that offer." Reese said before checking the time on her watch. "So where are we headed now?"

"Um... Penn Dance. Do you know where that org meets?" Paige asked hesitantly.

"Not really but we can probably ask around. Why?" Reese asked as they exited the cupcake store.

"I want to buy tickets for the dance marathon next month." Paige explained.

Reese stopped in her tracks and stared at Paige incredulously. "You _dance_?" She asked, giving Paige an amused onceover.

Paige laughed. "_No_. I was born with two left feet." She admitted. "But as it turns out the proceeds generated for the dance marathon will go to the foundation started a few months ago by my best friend's dad for her. And I know Emily wants to join it." She explained as they resumed walking.

"Is your best friend some kind of saint?" Reese asked jokingly.

"Close to it." Paige answered quietly, making Reese stop in her tracks again.

"So what you said back at the café. About her being this perfect everything. You weren't exaggerating." Reese concluded. When Paige nodded, she pursed her lips, debating whether or not to tell the girl what's on her mind. "Can I ask you something?" Reese continued cautiously. "Emily. Is she really worth all of this trouble you're going through?"

"Yeah. She is. Why?" Paige asked, giving the girl a confused look.

"Nothing. I just hope everything turns out well for you." Reese answered, looking at Paige worriedly.

* * *

"Don't you like the pizza?" Spencer asked, trying to catch her friend's attention as they sat on their respective beds with the box of pizza sitting on the chair she placed between them. "You still haven't touched your first slice and I'm on my second one already." She added, gesturing to the half slice of pizza she was holding in her hand.

Emily stared at the cold slice of Hawaiian pizza sitting in her plate and slowly removed the pineapples from it before picking up the pizza and forcing herself to take a small bite.

"What's going on with you?" Spencer inquired after she swallowed the portion of pizza she had been chewing. "You've been in a foul mood ever since you got that first phone call this morning and now you look like the weight of the world is on your shoulders."

"I'm fine." Emily said, trying to smile at her friend weakly. "I just can't wait for this day to be over." She admitted.

Emily looked towards the slightly parted curtains when she heard a low rumble and stood up to walk towards the window, watching the rain pour outside. At least the weather understood her mood. All day she had been getting phone calls from her parents, her friends, her relatives. All of them wishing her a happy birthday. Even Logan and Kayla took the time to call and greet her.

Everyone but Paige. And she knew that shouldn't bother her. In the past she looked forward to this day because it was the one day that Paige cut her some slack. She didn't realize it sooner but eventually she understood that the girl pointedly stayed away from her on this particular day. But that was because they didn't get along. Things were supposed to be different now. So why is Paige still staying away from her today?

After what the girl did for her last week she didn't think Paige would forget this day. But then again, maybe she got it wrong. Maybe after all these years Paige really didn't know about this day. Maybe it was just pure coincidence that Paige wasn't in the mood to bother her in the past when it was her birthday. Paige couldn't remember something she doesn't know. Right? After all, she herself never bothered to find out when Paige's birthday is.

"Are you gonna answer that?" Spencer asked, distracting Emily from her musing as she nodded her head towards the vibrating phone on top of Emily's bedside table.

Emily drew the curtains close and headed for her bedside table to pick up her phone, frowning when she glanced at the screen to see who was calling and saw that it was a blocked number.

"Hello?" Emily said in greeting once she put the phone to her ear. "Hello?" She repeated when she didn't hear an answer. "Hello who's this?" She asked again before moving the phone away from her ear when the line went dead, staring at it quizzically.

"Who was it?" Spencer inquired.

Emily shrugged. "I don't know. There's no answer. It's probably just a wrong number." She said dismissively. She started when she felt her phone vibrate again and let the phone ring as she stared at Paige's name on the screen this time.

"Maybe that's them again." Spencer said when she noticed her friend's blank stare.

"I doubt it." Emily said wryly. She took a deep breath and finally pressed the answer button. "Calling to ask for another favor?" She said in greeting.

"How did you know?" Paige asked, her tone indicating her surprise. "Are you some kind of psychic?!"

Emily rolled her eyes at Paige's lame attempt to tease her. "Seriously? You called to ask for another favor?" She repeated, barely able to keep the irritation out of her voice.

"Yeah. I was wondering if you have a CD I could borrow." Paige said slowly. "Preferably something that's easy on the ears. You know. Something mellow. Sort of just background music..."

"Perfect for a date with Reese?" Emily finished sarcastically.

"Bingo. So do you have one lying around? I want this thing with Reese to be perfect tonight so please say yes?" Paige pleaded, oblivious to Emily's foul mood.

Emily stood up and headed to her study table, scanning the titles of her CDs until she found the one she was looking for. "You're in luck. I happen to have one." She said as she studied the tracks in the CD with a mischievous grin, feeling a little better.

"Great. I'll meet you outside your college house in a few minutes. I'll give you a missed call once I'm there. Thanks, Em. You're such a lifesaver." Paige said before hanging up.

"What's with the smile?" Spencer asked, studying her friend curiously.

"Paige just asked if she could borrow a CD with mellow tracks in it for her date tonight." Emily replied, the mischievous grin on her lips disappearing once she was reminded that Paige called her for the third time today to talk about her date with Reese.

Spencer stood up and walked over to her friend, taking the CD from Emily's hands to study the tracks. She laughed out loud when she saw the titles, shaking her head in amusement. "At least you still found the time to play a prank on her despite the mood you're in. She's going to flip when these songs come on the player." She said, returning the CD to Emily. "I suggest you lay low for a few days after tonight." She added before returning to her bed to resume eating her dinner.

"Yeah." Emily uttered, staring at the CD to avoid her friend's eyes for fear that Spencer would take one look at her and know that she wasn't playing a prank just to ruin Paige's night. She really didn't want the date to go well.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Emily was riding the elevator on her way down to the lobby to meet Paige. The rain wasn't letting up but Emily didn't care if she got drenched at this point. The satisfaction she felt at the thought of deliberately ruining Paige's date tonight merely lasted for a few seconds and it was replaced with annoyance again that the girl called her three (four if you counted the missed call just now) times the entire day and not once did Paige even greet her a happy birthday. She just wanted for their meeting to be over so she could go back to her room and bury her head in her pillows until it was Tuesday morning.

As she exited the elevator, Emily got more agitated with every step she took towards the front door and when she saw Paige standing outside with an umbrella, she increased her pace and pushed the glass door irately. She stopped short when she saw Paige grinning at her with one hand holding the umbrella and the other holding a plain, light pink rectangular box with its top open and lights flickering inside. Emily closed the distance between them, curious to see what the girl was holding and why Paige was grinning at her triumphantly, while Paige hurriedly stepped forward when she noticed that Emily didn't bring an umbrella with her.

"I didn't forget." Paige uttered softly, those three words instantly ebbing Emily's anger. "Did you really think I would forget?" She asked, trying to make Emily look at her but the girl just kept staring at the open box of cupcakes she held in one hand so she continued. "I didn't need Kayla to remind me. I know what today is the moment I opened my eyes this morning and I've been running around all day trying to get you a present."

Emily kept her gaze on the three cupcakes inside the box; unable to meet Paige's eyes for fear that the girl will see the emotions playing across her features right now. She was moved, she was frustrated. She was happy, she was annoyed. She was speechless.

"You should probably blow the candles out before they melt all over the cupcakes. Or the wind decides to blow it for you." Paige added, bringing the box closer to the girl. "Happy eighteenth, Em." She said quietly.

Emily finally took a deep breath and blew the candles out but she still refused to meet Paige's eyes.

"And I got this for you." Paige said, briefly handing the umbrella to Emily while she took out from one of the pockets inside the lining of her leather jacket the DVD she bought earlier. She handed it to the girl, gesturing for Emily to give the umbrella back to her.

Emily wordlessly took the DVD of Repulsion and returned the umbrella to Paige, feeling like she was about to cry but she held back her tears. Still unable to comprehend Paige's ruse, she produced the CD she was holding in her other hand and gave it to the girl timidly. "For your date." She said hoarsely, still not looking at Paige.

Paige smiled. "Keep it." She said, refusing to take the CD. "There's no date with Reese. I just had to find a way to get you to tell me the things that you like without letting on that I was running around the city finding it."

Emily felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment and she was torn between hitting and hugging the girl standing in front of her. "There's no date?" She repeated, finally meeting Paige's warm brown eyes.

"Nope." Paige answered; breaking eye contact with Emily when she saw the CD the girl was going to lend her. She narrowed her eyes, confused. "Beyoncé?" She asked, making Emily stare at the CD as well. "That's your idea of mellow tracks?"

"What?" Emily uttered, feigning surprise as she pretended to study the CD she was holding in her hand. "Oh. I must've grabbed the wrong CD on my way down." She lied, feeling her cheeks flush in shame.

"Well it's a good thing that there's no date then." Paige said, giving Emily a smile.

Emily swallowed hard. "Yeah. It is." She admitted, her voice hoarse. "Only because it would ruin the mood." She added when she saw Paige's quizzical look.

Paige closed the lid of the box and handed it to Emily. "Here." She said, taking the DVD out of Emily's hand to hand her the box of cupcakes before placing the DVD on top of it. She patted the pockets of her jacket and took out the tickets she bought earlier, handing it to Emily. "I also took the liberty of buying these from Penn Dance. I heard what you said earlier even if I cut you off and pretended that I didn't care. I know you want to do this for Jai so I'm coming with you." She revealed, placing the tickets in between the box and the DVD. "I'm sorry I lied to you all day. Are you still mad at me?"

"Still?" Emily asked, looking at Paige curiously.

Paige laughed. "I could feel your anger the second you stepped out of the elevator." She pointed out. "So are you still mad at me?" She asked again.

Emily shook her head. "No. How can I possibly stay mad?" She asked quietly, instinctively leaning forward and depositing a soft kiss on Paige's cold cheek. "Thank you." She said once she pulled back.

Paige nodded, telling herself to breathe as she fought the urge to grin. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, feeling self-conscious, before pinching the corners of her mouth with her thumb and middle finger, trying to stop herself from smiling like a Cheshire cat again. She knew there was nothing else left to do but to say goodnight and head home. But Emily was standing in front of her in her cotton pajamas and loose shirt and all Paige wanted to do was kiss her. She swallowed hard, gripping the umbrella tight as she held Emily's gaze.

_It's not possible_.

Emily thought as she took in the girl standing in front of her. Lately she's been looking forward to spending time alone with Paige, laughing at the simplest things the girl said. And she noticed everything Paige did. Like the way the girl tucked her hair behind her ear and the way Paige brought her thumb and middle finger to her mouth to pinch the corner of her lips. And it just made her smile. Seeing Paige's quirks. She didn't know what to make of it. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew what it was. She just didn't dare pay attention to it.

Until tonight.

Because she's so happy that Paige remembered her birthday and she couldn't ignore it anymore.

_It's not possible. Right?_

_It can't be_.

And then three things happened at once.

A gentle wind blew past them, making Paige tuck another loose strand of hair behind her ear self-consciously,

Emily's stomach fluttered,

And her heart...

skipped...

a beat…


	13. sic infit : chapter iii

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

_**Longest chapter yet!**_

_**Awesome, awesome reviews guys! Thanks!**_

_**sampledbeats, Nae10, bipbap and StagHen… Thanks for the PM.**_

* * *

**PART TWO: "Sic Infit"**

_~ So it begins. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE**

_Maybe she won't notice_. Emily thought anxiously as she served another table outside of Café Prima their coffee and pastries. _After all, it's not like I'm gonna blush everytime she's around. Just... act normal. Don't stammer. Don't grin like an idiot. And don't laugh at everything she says. She's Paige. You can't like her. Not more than a friend_. She reminded herself.

Emily went back inside the café and checked the time on the clock mounted on the wall behind the counter before placing another order on the tray she was holding. In a few minutes Paige is going to arrive and she had to find a way to calm her nerves before she sees the girl again. Last week their MGMT100 professor divided the class into groups of ten for their semester-long project and she and Paige ended up being in the same group. Of course she was thrilled when she found out that they were groupmates because that meant having a legitimate reason to spend more time with the girl. Unlike Reese who was resorting to classic movies like Casablanca just to get Paige to spend time with her.

That was seven days ago. Things changed for her two days ago when she stood under the pouring rain looking into Paige's eyes and since then she has been a nervous wreck just thinking about running into the girl.

But Emily knew that seeing Paige again was inevitable. After all, they do have one class together this semester. She was still going to see Paige tomorrow afternoon so she might as well face the girl today.

The members of her group all agreed to meet with their client, the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America organization, at their head office in 230 North 13th Street for their first meeting regarding the project. Since Emily had her shift at the café and Paige had track practice, the latter suggested last week that they go to the meeting together, with Paige offering to swing by the café once she was done with her training. Emily had no problem with the arrangement when they discussed it last Thursday. But when Paige called her earlier to remind her of it, Emily felt faint and her pulse began to race at the mere thought of seeing Paige again.

As she headed outside the café to serve the steaming cup of coffee on her tray, Emily thought about what she would say and how she would act around Paige once they were standing in front of each other again. _Like last Monday night under the pouring rain_. Emily thought, her stomach fluttering when her gaze drifted to the spot outside Harrison where Paige stood holding an umbrella to shelter them both from the rain. When the girl moved to tuck that strand of hair while looking into her eyes... just like Paige is doing now...

"Shit!" A voice in front of her cursed when Emily lost her grip on the steaming cup of coffee she was holding when she realized that Paige was standing on the same spot and that the girl was looking at her.

"I'm so sorry!" Emily blurted out while trying to clean up the mess she made, wiping the spilled coffee off the table with a dishrag.

Emily stole a glance at the spot outside Harrison to see if she wasn't imagining things and true enough, Paige was still standing there but this time with a worried expression on her face and Reese standing next to her. _Of course. Those two seemed inseparable_. She averted her eyes and instead focused it on the customer she spilled the hot coffee on, groaning inwardly when she saw that the girl was wearing a white shirt and the coffee stain was smack-dab in the middle of it.

"I'm so sorry." Emily repeated.

"This is my favorite shirt and you ruined it!" The girl exclaimed as she stood up, trying to remove the stain with a dry tissue but to no avail. "And you just drenched me in scalding coffee!"

"It was an accident." Emily said apologetically. "It's a coffee stain. I'm sure I can remove it."

"Now?!" The girl asked dubiously. "I have a meeting in an hour. I don't have time to change."

"I can clean it inside." Emily offered. "I know how to remove coffee stains. I just need to borrow your shirt."

"And what am I supposed to wear in the meantime?" The girl asked, giving Emily a lengthy onceover. "Your shirt?"

"The longer we stand here the harder it's going to be to remove that stain." Emily pointed out, ignoring the girl's rude innuendo. "Are you coming with me inside?"

"I'll be right back." The girl said to her friends before moving to follow Emily. "My coffee's all over me." She complained, just loud enough for Emily to hear.

"I'll get you another one." Emily promised as she opened the door and let the girl walk in first.

"Have one with me and maybe I'll forget this incident ever happened." The girl suddenly said.

Emily mentally rolled her eyes at the girl, unable to believe that she just used what happened to ask her out. Emily pretended that she didn't hear what the girl said and instead looked around the café to see where Paige went, her insides squirming when she finally saw the girl seated on one of the loveseats with Reese. She forced herself to wave back when Paige did and indicated that she'll be with her soon, pointing to the customer who was now walking in front of her.

"Where do you want me?" The girl asked suggestively when they were in the back room.

"Just go inside the restroom and give me your shirt." Emily instructed. "This won't take long." She added as she pointed to the unisex bathroom that's reserved for employees.

Once the girl stepped inside the bathroom and gave her the stained shirt, Emily headed for the pantry and got one egg and a bowl. She cracked the egg expertly and transferred the yolk into the bowl, beating it before adding some warm water. She rubbed the mixture on the coffee stain with a sponge and then rinsed it, walking over to the hand dryer when she was sure that the stain is gone. _This is what happens when you let your mind wander_. Emily reprimanded herself while moving the shirt to and fro under the dryer. _Stop thinking about Paige and her stupid soft, brown hair and her stupid warm, brown eyes and her stupid gorgeous smile. Just stop_.

Satisfied that the shirt is dry, Emily knocked on the bathroom door a few minutes later and handed the shirt once the girl opened the door a crack. She took a step back and waited for the girl to exit the bathroom before heading back to the front of the café with the girl close behind.

"So about that coffee..." The girl trailed off, significantly in a better mood.

Emily headed straight to the counter and poured the girl a new cup of coffee before facing her again. "Here. It's on me for the trouble I caused you." She said, sliding the mug across the counter towards the girl.

"Where's yours?" The girl asked, looking at Emily flirtatiously.

Emily gave the girl a thin smile. "I'm on the clock. Sorry." She politely replied despite itching to tell the girl to leave her alone.

"Then what time does your shift end?" The girl persisted. "I'm sure I can come back after my meeting. It's just across the street."

"Excuse me." Emily started when she heard Reese's voice near her. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I'm sure the two of you are talking about something life-changing like which sorority party to attend first tonight. But my friend and I have been waiting for a while now for someone to take our orders." She continued while giving the girl and Emily an impatient look. "Can either one of you do your job?" She asked, pointedly staring at the girl standing next to Emily.

"What are you looking at me for? I don't work here." The girl said indignantly.

"Then I suggest you step away from that side of the counter before I force you to make me a double tall, nonfat, half-caf, extra hot latte with whipped cream, vanilla, hazelnut, almond, raspberry, and toffee nut syrup, extra foam, two packets of sweet 'n low, one packet of sugar, half pack of equal and caramel sauce." Reese snapped. "People come here to drink coffee not flirt with the employees and you're ruining the service by being inappropriate."

The girl threw Reese a glare before grabbing her cup of coffee and stepping outside the counter to head back to her friends. Left alone with Reese, Emily struggled for something to say, aware that Paige's 'friend' just saved her.

"You're welcome." Reese finally said, deciding to start the conversation. "Assuming you wanted to say thanks that is."

Emily nodded. "Thanks." She uttered sincerely. "You're not serious about that coffee order just now, are you?" She asked, giving the girl a wary look.

Reese shook her head. "Way too many ingredients for my taste buds. I just made that up to save your ass." She admitted. "See? I'm not so bad. You don't have to keep making faces and giving me dirty looks whenever I'm with Paige. We can be friends. Any friend of newbie is a friend of mine." Reese declared enthusiastically. "You don't mind sharing your friend, right? I mean, I'm fine sharing Paige with you after all."

"I don't make faces." Emily said indignantly. _And I met Paige first before you. Don't tell me you're willing to share her with me_.

Reese laughed. "What did you think of newbie's surprise last Monday? Did you like it? We had a hard time looking for that film. I spent the entire day driving Paige around the city just so she could find a DVD copy of that rare horror movie of yours and give you your favorite cupcakes." She added, enjoying Emily's discomfort.

"You helped her?" Emily asked hoarsely.

That meant Paige was with Reese the entire time the girl was calling her and Emily suddenly felt disappointed. Of course Reese telling her that she and Paige were together the entire day last Monday sounded worse than a non-existent movie date. But her disappointment stemmed from the realization that Reese just ruined the idea she had that Paige did those things without the other girl's knowledge.

Apparently the two girls did everything together now. It was like Paige wasn't keeping what she did for Emily a secret from Reese because there wasn't anything special about it. She just remembered her birthday as a friend and asked the girl she was seeing to help give her friend a gift. Which was disappointing because Emily hoped that Paige's gesture meant something. That Emily meant more to her. Even if the chances of that happening are virtually nil.

"Like I said, I don't mind sharing newbie with you." Reese repeated, distracting Emily from her thoughts. "You two are friends and she wanted to do something special for you so I decided to help her out." She continued, observing Emily's reaction closely. "So did you like it?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah. Paige really surprised me." She admitted, her eyes involuntarily drifting to the girl who was sitting on the loveseat studying them. "Everything about that night was unexpected." She added, her pulse starting to race again.

"Ah. But that's the best kind of surprise! The unexpected ones." Reese emphasized, knowing Emily wasn't thinking about the gifts at all. "The kind that creeps up on you until it's standing right in front of you and you don't know what to do about it."

Emily returned her attention to Reese. "Do you want brewed coffee or something?" She asked, trying to change the subject before she ends up blushing again.

"That and a bottle of apple juice for newbie." Reese answered, taking out her wallet to pay for her purchases. "You don't mind bringing these to our table, right? I need to go to the ladies' room." She explained as she gestured to the two beverages.

"Yeah. I'll bring it over right now." Emily said, placing the bottle of juice and the cup of coffee on a tray.

"Thanks. Tell newbie she's welcome by the way." Reese added before heading for the bathroom.

Emily took a deep breath to compose herself before starting to make her way over to Paige, forcing her hands not to tremble as she got closer to the girl. _Watch your step. Stop staring at her_. Emily berated herself. _One accident is enough._

Paige immediately got up when she saw that Emily was headed towards her, meeting the girl halfway to take the bottle of juice from the tray while Emily grabbed the cup of coffee to place it on the table in front of the loveseat.

"Where's Reese?" Paige asked, looking past Emily. "I can't believe she asked you to bring these over." She muttered as she looked at the girl again.

"It's fine. I do work here after all." Emily reminded Paige, grinning. _Grinning? Why are you grinning?! Don't grin. There's nothing to grin about_. "Reese went to the bathroom." She added when she remembered that Paige asked her a question.

Paige nodded. "Reese and her tiny bladder." She commented, shaking her head wryly.

"She said to tell you that you're welcome by the way." Emily said, taking a step back when she became aware that they were standing close to each other again. "What for?"

"Oh that." Paige uttered sheepishly. "I saw what happened earlier outside. The coffee spill on that customer? When I saw you two behind the counter I thought she might be giving you a hard time so Reese decided to come over and help you out." She explained before taking a seat on the couch again.

"She really did." Emily admitted. "That girl went from angry to flirtatious and she asked me to have coffee with her so she'd forgive me for the accident. I said no, of course." _You had to say that?! Paige doesn't care if you said no!_

"Of course." Paige repeated, her gaze drifting to the locket on Emily's necklace. "The girl who asked you out. Is she a regular here?" She asked, looking at Emily again.

"Sort of. Why?" Emily said, giving Paige a curious look.

Paige shook her head. "No reason. Just checking to see if there's a chance that she's going to bother you again." She explained. "So are you going to be done soon?"

"Just a few more minutes." Emily replied when she looked behind her and saw the time on the wall clock. "Sorry." She added, looking at Paige apologetically.

"Don't be. Track practice finished earlier than expected. So if you think about it, it's actually Reese's fault that I'm here early." Paige revealed. "But don't tell her I said that! She's going to make sure that I pay for it. Yesterday she made me do these simulated starts. It's the one where I have to stand and go into position when she calls 'on your mark.' Then when she yells 'set' I have to raise my butt in the air and assume position. Supposed to be she yells 'go' after that so I can sprint fifteen yards but instead Reese kept yelling 'on your mark' and 'set' at me." She complained, frowning. "I did that _twenty times_ even if I nailed the first five just because I tried calling her Patrice. I'm starting to think that girl is a serious power tripper." Paige whispered conspiratorially.

Emily knew she's supposed to be annoyed at Reese for giving Paige a hard time but she couldn't help but laugh when she imagined the girl raising her butt in the air again and again whenever Reese yelled 'set'. "My lips are sealed." She promised when she finally managed to catch her breath. "Are you sure you don't mind waiting though? You can go ahead. I can go to the meeting by myself."

"Em, it's fine. Reese said she'll keep me company." Paige replied.

"Things with Reese seem to be getting serious." Emily commented, forcing her voice to sound normal despite the jealously she was feeling. "You must really like her."

"Banshee?!" Paige exclaimed incredulously. "She's cool but we're just hanging out." She added when she remembered that she still hasn't told Emily the truth yet.

"Is that what you're calling me behind my back, newbie?" Reese asked as she plopped down beside Paige. "'Coz if it is I have issues with that. I don't wail and I'm not an omen of death."

"Could've fooled me." Paige shot back. "You were close to wailing at me yesterday for trying to call you Patrice I thought I was going to die of laughter."

Reese glared at the girl. "Say that name one more time and tomorrow you're gonna do spinners until you're blue in the face." She promised, grinning when she saw Paige's eyes widen in horror. "She told you about the simulated starts yesterday, didn't she?" She guessed, looking at Emily.

"Yeah. She did." Emily replied, suddenly feeling like she was intruding just by standing there in front of the two girls. "Um... I better head back to the counter since I'm still on the clock." She said as she gestured to the wall clock behind her. "Thanks again for what you did earlier." She added, addressing Reese.

"Don't mention it. And don't worry about Paige waiting for you. She's used to it." Reese added casually.

_Oh my god_. Paige thought, wishing the earth would swallow her whole right now. _You are __**so**__ dead_. She mentally told Reese before facing Emily.

"Don't mind her." Paige told the girl nervously. "Reese has a weird sense of humor."

"Yeah. Don't mind me at all. I'm completely harmless. I'm just here to keep newbie company." Reese said, scooting closer to the girl and placing an arm around her shoulders, making Paige flush in embarrassment.

Emily gave the two girls a faint smile and turned her back to head towards the counter. She glanced at the clock and saw that she still had thirty minutes left in her shift. Thirty minutes that she'd have to spend watching Reese and Paige laugh and talk in that loveseat. _This is officially the longest thirty minutes of my life_.

* * *

"Hold the elevator please!" Paige groaned inwardly when she saw the heavyset man stop the elevator doors from closing and got in, forcing the other passengers to move closer to each other in the already crowded space. She and Emily were already running late for their meeting thanks to an accident on Market Street that caused heavy traffic since all vehicles had to be diverted to Chestnut Street.

Paige reluctantly took a small step back. "Sorry." She muttered when she bumped into Emily, smiling apologetically at the girl who was standing next to her. She tried to move her arms and when she couldn't, Paige decided to change positions and turned her body towards Emily so they were standing face-to-face instead.

"It's fine." Emily replied, smiling tightly.

Emily stepped closer to Paige to make room for the pregnant woman behind her and found herself staring at the girl's seemingly perfect lips. She didn't notice it until now. Probably because other than that one time that she and Paige danced in her backyard on prom night, the two of them never stood this close to each other. But apparently she and Paige were almost the same height. That meant their lips were almost on the same level. _Why should that matter?_

_I want to kiss her._

Emily felt her cheeks flush, her pulse racing at the thought that crossed her mind just now. Her breath hitched when Paige moved her hand to make herself more comfortable, unknowingly grazing Emily's hand. She closed her eyes for a second, praying that Paige couldn't hear the pounding of her heart despite their closeness. She felt flustered. Being this close to Paige. She can't even meet the girl's eyes, scared that Paige would notice something was wrong. Emily took a deep breath to calm herself but instead her nose caught the faint smell of citrus and she bit her lip in frustration. Being this near to Paige was making her insides squirm. When the elevator stopped, Emily pushed her way out of the car, apologizing to people without looking at anyone in particular.

"Hey. Hold up! Where's the fire?!" Paige called out after the girl, struggling to catch up to Emily. "Hey." She repeated, grabbing Emily's hand.

Emily felt a jolt of electricity course through her when Paige slipped her hand in hers. For some reason, Paige holding her hand now made her feel tingly all over. When she finally turned around, she was pleased that Paige didn't let go of her hand.

"What's the rush?" Paige asked, studying Emily worriedly.

"Sorry. It just got stuffy in there and I needed some air." Emily lied, looking everywhere but at Paige.

"Yeah that elevator was pretty crowded." Paige agreed, making Emily feel relieved that the girl bought her excuse. "Are you okay? You look a little flushed." Paige commented, her eyebrows creasing in concern.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine." She answered, looking down at their hands.

Paige followed Emily's gaze and felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment. "Oh. Sorry." She blurted out when she noticed that she was still holding Emily's hand. She couldn't explain why but holding the girl's hand felt natural to her that she didn't notice she was making Emily feel uncomfortable. "I just wanted to catch up to you." She explained before releasing the girl's hand reluctantly. "We got off on the seventeenth floor. We're supposed to meet our groupmates on the twentieth." She reminded the girl.

Emily missed the contact but kept her expression neutral. "Right. Sorry. I must've spaced out." She told Paige apologetically. "Should we ride the elevator again?"

Paige checked the time on her watch before shaking her head. "We won't make it if we wait for the elevator to stop on this floor again. Let's just take the stairs." She suggested.

"I'm so sorry Paige." Emily said, berating herself because now they're going to be even later all because she couldn't stop herself from getting flustered around the girl. _You're in college. Stop acting like you're in elementary_.

"It's fine. Come on." Paige said, gesturing for Emily to follow her.

They were headed towards the direction of the stairwell when they came across a guy wearing a white shirt with a 'Z' slashed in front underneath his open leather jacket and Emily was suddenly hit with an idea.

"Hey Paige." Emily started, risking a glance at the girl walking next to her.

"Yeah?" Paige replied, looking at Emily.

"Have you seen the film the Mark of Zorro?" Emily continued as she followed Paige inside the stairwell and they began making their way up the stairs.

"Mark of Zorro?" Paige repeated quizzically. "Don't you mean _Mask_ of Zorro?"

Emily shook her head. "No. This one's a silent film. It's the first Zorro movie." She explained.

"Oh. Then no. I haven't. Why?" Paige asked, moving to her left so Emily could climb the stairs next to her.

"I saw a poster for it at the revival theater yesterday. I wanted to ask Spencer to see it with me but she's busy." Emily said as she kept her eyes trained on the steps, hoping Paige would take the hint.

"Do you want to watch it tonight?" Paige asked just as they reached another landing. _18__th__ floor. Almost there_. "I'm not doing anything after this. We can head back to campus, grab dinner in one of those residential dining cafés, and then catch the last full show."

"Really?" Emily uttered, barely able to keep the excitement out of her voice. _Calm down. It's just dinner and a movie. __**Between friends**__._

"Yeah. I mean, I'm assuming that's the reason you brought it up. You want to see it." Paige added as they continued climbing their way up.

Emily nodded. "I do." She answered, leading the way up the last flight of stairs to the 20th floor.

"Well then let's see it." Paige said gamely. "But are you sure you're up for it? You still look a little flushed. You might be coming down with the sniffles." She observed.

Emily's steps faltered, reminded for a split second of who she was walking next to. "I'm fine." She answered hoarsely. "I'm not coming down with anything." Emily added, gesturing for Paige to go in first when they were finally standing in front of the door with the number 20 on it, biting her bottom lip in frustration.

Once Paige's back was turned to her, Emily sighed and mentally cursed herself. _No. This isn't happening. I can't have a crush on Paige McCullers. The girl who made your life miserable in high school. You're not supposed to like her this way. Okay. That's it. I'm done having a crush on her._ She told herself determinedly.

Paige turned around to see what's taking Emily so long, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she stopped in her tracks to wait for Emily to catch up to her so they can enter the conference room together.

_Why? _Emily thought weakly as she walked closer to Paige, the girl's gesture bringing an overwhelming feeling of helplessness to her. _Why won't it go away when I know that Paige would never in a million years feel the same way about me? I'm Sniffles. That's how she'll always see me. Are you really expecting something to happen?_

* * *

"I'm not saying it was a sellout. I'm just saying that they could've gone with a better ending." Paige argued as they walked back to Emily's college house later that night from the revival theatre.

"_I_ think it was done well." Emily insisted stubbornly.

"The hero gets the girl? That's totally mainstream!" Paige exclaimed, looking at Emily incredulously.

"Well Zorro was always coming to Lolita's rescue. She would've noticed eventually." Emily explained, glancing at Paige before looking away.

In the light of the moon, the girl's skin looked radiant and Emily felt that familiar flutter in her stomach again. Paige looked so beautiful and Emily chose to keep her hands inside the pockets of her jeans to refrain from reaching out and tucking a loose strand of hair behind the girl's ear when Paige dipped her head forward to look at the ground.

"Yeah but that's not how it usually happens." Paige said, looking up again and gently tucking her hair behind her ear. "There are no superheroes in real life." She reminded the girl matter-of-factly; oblivious to the inner turmoil Emily was going through.

"Okay one, Zorro is hardly a superhero. He doesn't have superpowers so don't call him that." Emily reprimanded the girl teasingly. "And two, what I meant was when someone comes to your rescue." She clarified, her pulse racing and her cheeks growing warm. "When they're there for you all the time. I think eventually you're going to notice. Shift your perspective. See them in a different light." She said as she studied Paige out of the corner of her eye.

"Well that hasn't happened to me. I've never experienced that sort of thing so I can't really say that I'm all for that hero-gets-the-girl-in-the-end scenario." Paige admitted, shrugging.

"What scenario do you want to play out then?" Emily asked as they rounded a corner.

Paige furrowed her brows in concentration, mulling over her answer before replying. "The bad guy gets the girl and changes for her. I like that better. More romantic." She admitted. "Not that the bad guy is a devious mastermind or someone who's beyond redemption." Paige hurriedly added. "Just... a regular, not so perfect guy who's made some mistakes in the past, atones for it then gets the girl in the end." She explained earnestly.

"Well I like the superhero version." Emily insisted.

_Of course she likes the superhero. She was with one for three years_. "Just one of the things we'll never agree on then." Paige commented, trying to seem unaffected as they reached the front of Harrison.

"This is me." Emily said once they stopped walking. She turned around to face Paige, fully aware that they were standing on the same spot where she realized she likes the girl.

Paige shifted her attention from Emily to the building behind the girl and smiled. "If my dad didn't rent that apartment for me I would've chosen to live here." She admitted, tilting her head up and wondering which of the lighted windows above is Emily's room. "This place is amazing."

Emily bit her bottom lip, not knowing what to say. A part of her wanted Paige to live here too so she could see the girl everyday without needing an excuse. She could casually bump into Paige every morning and they could say goodnight to each other before they go to bed at night. But she could barely think straight just being around the girl. If they lived in the same building she'd probably be a blushing, stammering mess twenty-four seven. Luckily Paige didn't wait for her to say anything.

"I guess I better head home." Paige said, her gaze returning to Emily.

"Yeah." Emily uttered, at a loss as to what to do next.

They stood staring at each other, waiting for someone to say or do something before Paige finally spoke up again.

"Okaythenbye." Paige muttered as she waved her right hand at Emily awkwardly.

Emily acted before she lost her nerve. "Wait." She blurted out, grabbing Paige by the wrist when the girl took a small step back. She mustered the courage to kiss Paige on the cheek even if the gesture meant so much more to her now. Emily could swear her cheeks were beet red when she pulled back but since it was dark, Paige didn't seem to notice it. "Thanks for tonight."

"No problem." Paige managed to say despite the racing of her heart. "Watching movies with you is actually fun. Maybe we can do this on a weekend basis. When we can't go home to Rosewood or something."

"You mean, like, a day reserved only for us spending the entire day together?" Emily asked hopefully, pleased to spend more time alone with Paige.

"Unless you don't want to. I just thought it'd be nice to go back to that revival theatre. I didn't know old films could be so cool to watch." Paige admitted. "We could watch a movie every weekend then grab dinner after." She suggested.

Emily nodded. "I'd like that. I guess it's a date then. Between friends. I mean." She added hurriedly, praying Paige won't see how red her face has gotten. _Is there a shade darker than beet red?_

Paige forced her expression to remain neutral. "It's a date." She repeated, refusing to shy away from the term even if she knew that the day will probably mean more to her than it will to Emily.

"But who says we can't watch a movie when we go home to Rosewood? I can come home with you then we can watch there." Emily offered.

"Really?" Paige asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Just tell me if you plan on going home for the weekend and I can wait for you until your class ends in the afternoon. And you know that I pretty much go home every Friday." Emily added.

"Right. For Jai." Paige mumbled, smiling at Emily faintly. "Okay. I'll give you a heads up in case I plan on going home. But for now you better head inside." She said, gesturing in front of her. "It's getting cold out and you're not wearing a jacket."

"Okay. Goodnight." Emily said, still reluctant to leave Paige's company.

"Goodnight." Paige repeated.

Emily smiled at the girl before heading inside her college house. She and Paige are going to start spending even more time together thanks to that revival theatre. And unlike with Reese, Paige was the one who suggested the idea. _It's a date_. Emily's smile grew bigger when she remembered Paige's words. A girl can dream, right? Maybe it _is_ a date.

* * *

"I really can't today, newbie." Reese repeated for the fifth time apologetically as she continued fixing her things inside her duffel bag.

"But why not?" Paige whined as she stood next to Reese, one hand inside the front pocket of her jeans as she adjusted the strap of her duffel bag on her shoulder.

"I told you. It's my anniversary. I have a surprise planned out for my girlfriend." Reese explained patiently.

"But you said it's not until tonight." Paige reminded the girl as she moved to let one of their teammates pass.

Reese zipped her bag and tossed it over her shoulder, carrying it behind her with her left hand. "It is. But I have to prepare for it." She pointed out, moving to exit the locker room with Paige close behind. "Just go there by yourself."

Paige bit her bottom lip anxiously. "I can't do that. I won't have a reason to be there. She still thinks we go there because we're seeing each other casually. But if I'm there alone she'd ask where you are and why I'm there..."

"Then just tell her that you're there because of her." Reese interjected, giving Paige an exasperated look.

Ever since the incident with the obnoxious girl that Emily accidentally spilled coffee on, Paige insisted that she and Reese hang out at the café everytime Emily has a shift. Reese knew it was because Paige was worried that the obnoxious girl would continue harassing Emily for a date so she agreed to it. But she's trying to salvage her relationship and tonight this is her chance. Everything has to be perfect.

"But won't I be obvious if I tell her that?" Paige asked uncertainly.

Reese laughed. "Newsflash, newbie. You're already obvious. Emily is just so dense and clueless." She said wryly.

_Just like you_. Reese added, shaking her head. As much as it tempted her to play cupid, she didn't want to be the person who tells two people that they have the hots for each other just so they can finally get together. She didn't want to be caught in the middle and become the person they confided in. The last thing she needed right now was to be a mediator and a messenger. She had enough problems to deal with. And she has this nagging feeling that there's more to the story between Emily and Paige that's why they have to figure things out for themselves.

"Reese, come on. Just a few minutes. Please?" Paige pleaded, grabbing Reese by the arm to stop the girl from walking. "Just stay for a few minutes then make up some excuse as to why you can't stay and then leave."

Reese shook her head apologetically. She was tempted. Honestly she'd rather hang out with Paige and tease the girl nonstop while watching Emily get jealous from afar. But she had to try to fix things with her girlfriend. "I'm really sorry newbie but you're on your own today." She said, placing one hand on Paige's shoulder comfortingly. "You can do this. Just think of it this way. Would you rather risk Emily having a faint idea as to how you really feel about her when you admit that you're there because of her? Or would you rather that the obnoxious girl harass her again?"

* * *

"I'll be back with your orders soon." Emily said to the two guys seated outside the café on a Wednesday afternoon before heading back inside.

Emily headed straight for the counter and busied herself with preparing the orders, looking forward to when her shift would finally end. She had a paper to write and several readings to do and she wanted to finish those so she could turn in early and do some laps in the Sheerr Pool before her class tomorrow morning. When she heard the front door open and close, Emily looked up and felt her lips curl into an eager smile.

_Again with the smiling?! What is the matter with you?_ Emily reprimanded herself as she raised a hand to wave at Paige. She held her breath, expecting Reese to follow close behind. The two girls have hung out at the café practically every afternoon since the coffee spill incident, always occupying the loveseat in the corner of the room. Reese with her cup of brewed coffee, Paige with her bottle of apple juice. Always.

Emily continued preparing the orders while studying Paige out of the corner of her eye, watching the girl's progress across the room as Paige headed to the usual spot she shared with Reese. For four weeks now, Emily has spent the rest of her shift watching Paige and Reese banter and laugh in that corner. Seeing them together made her want to sink in a corner herself but it was so she could sulk and wallow in misery at the fact that she still likes Paige and that she can't seem to stop herself from liking the girl. When she was finally done preparing the food and beverages, Emily placed everything on a tray and made her way outside, smiling at Paige when the girl looked her way.

"Here you go." Emily said as she placed the cups of coffee and plates of sandwiches in front of the two guys. "Enjoy your stay in Café Prima." She added, giving the guys a warm smile before heading back inside.

As she pushed the door open, Emily realized that she was dreading having to step inside knowing her gaze would automatically drift to that corner loveseat again and she'd see Paige and Reese back to their usual antics. She steeled herself and forced her eyes to keep looking forward until she was back behind the counter. Only then did she dare to look towards the loveseat and she felt flustered when she saw Paige look up from the books scattered on the table in front of her and caught Emily staring. Panicked, she raised her hand and gave the girl a small wave, feeling like an idiot. _How many times do you have to wave at her?!_ She lowered her hand when she noticed that there's still no sign of Reese.

Emily looked around the place. The café wasn't teeming with customers at the moment and no one seemed to need anything. She grabbed a bottle of apple juice from the display fridge, deciding to use it as an excuse to come over to Paige before stepping outside of the counter. She discreetly checked her reflection in one of the windows as she got closer to the girl, aware that her pulse was starting to race again.

"Hey." Emily said in greeting, handing the bottle of apple juice to the girl.

Paige took the bottle and smiled. "Thanks." She said, placing the cold beverage on the table with her other things.

"So. Um... I couldn't help but notice..." Emily trailed off, glancing at the unoccupied spot beside the girl.

Paige looked at the empty seat next to hers then back at Emily. "You're looking for Reese?" She asked, dreading having to lie to Emily again.

"Not that I miss her or anything." Emily said hurriedly. "It's just that you two have been hanging out here practically every afternoon but today she's not here. Is she sick?"

Paige shook her head. "Nope. We're just not meeting today. She has to take care of something." She answered vaguely. "I'm just passing the time. I'm actually meeting Kayla here around six so she could help me pick an outfit for that dance marathon on Saturday."

"Here? Why?" Emily asked, confused. "Isn't Girard already on the other side of the river? You said you plan on buying your clothes in one of the stores in the gayborhood area." She reminded the girl.

"I told her that but when she learned that I was going to hang out here she asked that we meet here instead." Paige explained. "She said something about wanting to visit you in your place of work."

"No I get that. What I don't get is why you had to stay here instead of just meeting with her from your apartment if Reese isn't here to keep you company." Emily clarified.

Paige took a deep breath. _Just tell her the truth for once_. "I'm actually here because I want to make sure that you're okay." She admitted.

Emily furrowed her brows in confusion before realization dawned on her and she had to remind herself not to grin. "Paige I assure you I can handle that girl if she tries to ask me out again. But she hasn't bothered me since Reese told her she was ruining the service by flirting with me so you don't have to keep coming here." She told Paige patiently.

"Oh." Paige muttered, feeling her cheeks flush in embarrassment. She was so worried about her feelings being obvious to the girl when she should've asked herself first if Emily even wanted her there. "Okay. I'll tell Kayla to just meet me back in our apartment building." She said, getting up and averting her eyes from the girl as she busied herself with returning her books inside her bag.

Emily mentally berated herself when she saw Paige struggle to hide her embarrassment. _Do something_. Emily quickly closed the distance between them and firmly placed her hand on Paige's arm. "Don't leave. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound like that. Of course I like seeing you here." _Even if it meant seeing you with Reese all the time_. "I just meant that you don't have to worry about me. You don't have to keep looking after me." She added softly.

"Em, I know I don't have to. But I want to." Paige said earnestly. "Are you okay with that?" She asked, looking at the girl standing next to her.

Emily swallowed hard and removed her hand on Paige's arm. "Yeah." She answered, taking a small step back before she did something stupid like kiss the girl on the lips for being so sweet.

"Okay. So I'm staying here until your shift ends." Paige stated, sitting back down and taking out her books again. "I don't need Reese to keep me company. I have homework." She added. "I told Kayla to come over once your shift's done so you could hang out with us for a few minutes before we have to leave."

"At least order something to eat." Emily suggested. "It's just four in the afternoon and you're going to have to wait for me for another hour."

"Only if you agree to split an oatmeal raisin cookie with me once your shift's over." Paige said, leaning forward to grab the bottle of apple juice Emily brought her and twisting the cap open.

"Yeah. Okay. I'll bring one over later." Emily promised. She looked up when she saw a couple enter the café. "I gotta go. Duty calls." She told Paige apologetically.

"Go ahead. I'm not going anywhere." Paige promised.

Emily nodded then turned her back to the girl before grinning. Now she was looking forward to finishing the rest of her shift for a different reason. Paige was alone and the girl was waiting for her so they could hang out. Suddenly, the thirty minutes she spent watching Reese and Paige before seemed insignificant. Working for another hour knowing Paige is waiting for her is the longest sixty minutes of her life.

* * *

"When I was a kid, my dad used to let me take a sip of his coffee every morning and he would always make fun of me when I end up getting a mustache because of the foam." Emily fondly recalled as she took a sip of the latte she made.

Once her shift was done, Emily made a quick trip back to her room in Harrison to get some of her books so she could start writing her paper and spend time with Paige while they waited for Kayla. Jai's sister was supposed to arrive around six but it's almost seven now and there's still no sign of the girl. Paige suggested that they transfer to one of the tables outside the café so Kayla won't have a hard time finding them and Emily agreed. So armed with a new bottle of apple juice, a plate of oatmeal raisin cookie and the latte Emily made for herself, the two girls occupied one of the corner tables outside the shop.

Paige stared at the coffee Emily was drinking and made a face. "I'm not fond of coffee." She admitted.

"So you're not fond but you _do_ drink coffee occasionally." Emily clarified.

Paige shook her head. "I mean I'm not fond so I don't drink coffee. I don't need to." She answered. She had to battle with insomnia since she was eight. Caffeine is practically her arch nemesis. "I used to get milk mustaches though." Paige added as she took her eyes off Emily to turn the page of the book she was reading.

When Paige looked up again, she saw that Emily missed a spot when she wiped the cream off her mouth. "Oh. Hey. You got some cream left." She said, pointing to Emily's upper lip.

Paige chuckled when Emily tried to remove the cream but kept missing it. "I got it." She said before taking one of the tissues that came with their drinks and folding it. "Don't move." She ordered as she pulled her chair closer and brought the tissue to the girl's upper lip.

Emily swore Paige heard her heart beating wildly but she forced herself to remain still. When Paige's thumb brushed lightly against her lips, the tingly sensation that coursed from her lips to her toes was too much and she abruptly dropped the pen she was tightly gripping to take the napkin from Paige.

"I got it." Emily muttered, the feel of Paige's thumb lightly grazing her lips just seconds ago still lingering in her mind. "Thanks." She said, managing to give the girl a small smile despite the racing of her pulse.

Paige shrugged and returned to the book she was reading, hiding from the girl how affected she was when she grazed Emily's lips for a brief moment.

Emily continued wiping the cream off her mouth and when she was sure that she got all of it, she balled the napkin in her hand to throw later. She picked up her pen to continue writing while absentmindedly playing with the soiled object in her other hand.

"Give me that." Paige suddenly said.

"What?" Emily asked, looking at Paige in confusion.

"The trash. Give it." Paige ordered, extending her hand towards the girl.

"Why?" Emily uttered, her hand tightening on the soiled tissue, refusing to give it to the girl.

Paige wordlessly leaned forward and forced Emily to open her hand, grabbing the tissue and standing up to throw it in the nearest trashcan before sitting down again. She then opened her bag and took out something, leaning forward again to take the hand Emily kept the soiled napkin in. Paige poured a generous amount of hand sanitizer in the girl's hand and then poured some on hers before returning the bottle inside her bag and going back to reading her book like what she did was no big deal.

Emily studied the girl closely as she rubbed her hands together. Paige is probably the sweetest girl she's ever met. Maybe even sweeter than Jai. And that was one of the reasons why she was having a hard time trying to ward of her attraction towards the girl. She wanted to come clean to Paige. Tell her she's attracted. But she's scared that if Paige found out the girl will stay away or things could go back to the way they were back in high school. Only this time it's going to be worse because Paige would never let her hear the end of it. Emily Fields crushing on Paige McCullers. The girl would have a field day and make sure that everyone knew about it. Still...

"Paige?" Emily finally said as she fidgeted with her pen.

"Yeah?" Paige replied, looking up from the book she was reading to meet Emily's eyes.

"Have you ever had, like, a friend tell you that she likes you?" Emily continued hoarsely.

Paige bit her bottom lip thoughtfully before answering. "Not really. Mostly it's just random girls coming up to me. Giving me their numbers." She admitted sheepishly.

"Right." Emily muttered, reminded that Paige never had a girlfriend before. "Must feel nice. Girls throwing themselves at you." She commented offhandedly.

Paige shrugged. "It's okay. It used to bother me a lot. I don't like the attention and I felt like I had to call them or something. But I got used to it eventually. Why do you ask?" She inquired, giving Emily a curious look.

"No reason." Emily answered, losing her nerve. She looked down on the book she was reading earlier, pretending she was engrossed in whatever's written on its pages despite reading the same sentence over and over again.

"Did someone come up to you and told you that she likes you? Is it Spencer?" Paige asked suspiciously, refusing to let the matter drop.

Emily looked up in surprise. "What? No!" She exclaimed hurriedly.

"Then why are you asking me that?" Paige repeated, staring at Emily expectantly.

"I was just curious. How you'll handle it if you found out that a friend likes you that way. Will you distance yourself?" Emily asked anxiously. _Might as well continue the conversation_.

"I don't know. I don't think so." Paige replied, mulling over the question. "I mean, of course it's going to be weird at first. But if we're really good friends I think we can get past it eventually."

"But... you won't consider trying to be with her?" Emily continued.

"I normally don't see my friends that way. But then again, other than Jai the only real friend I have is Kayla. And I never saw either of them as something more. So I guess the answer is no." Paige finally said. "I don't like getting involved with a friend. It could be messy if it doesn't work out and our friendship may not survive it. I don't believe that both of you will get over each other completely. There will always be that something between the two of you. It's going to be awkward. And if the friendship does survive it will never be the same. If she's my friend I'd rather spare her from the pain. I don't want to hurt her because I won't be able to commit to her anyway." She admitted. "I can't get too involved."

Emily felt faint. _I can't believe I like her_. "So it's true. In high school. What the girls say? About you playing the field?" She asked hoarsely.

"They're not that many!" Paige said indignantly. "You make it sound like I'm a player. I'm not."

"But you've kissed a lot of girls." Emily pointed out.

"Why are you suddenly interested in my kissing statistics?" Paige asked quizzically.

"No reason. Just forget we had this conversation." Emily said, her voice almost pleading.

"Do you like a friend of yours or something?" Paige asked, starting to get nervous. She thought Emily wasn't ready to move on but apparently the girl found someone new. _Did I miss my chance again?_

"I thought I did. But I just realized that nothing's ever going to come out of it." Emily replied.

"Why?" Paige asked, relieved to hear the girl's answer.

"I forgot who she really is. Talking to you reminded me of that because of the whole commitment thing." Emily admitted.

_Am I supposed to feel happy about that or offended?_ "Suit yourself. But for the record, I think you can make anyone commit to you." Paige said earnestly.

* * *

Kayla glanced at the time on her watch and mentally face-palmed herself as she increased her pace. She hasn't been to UPenn since she and Jai went with their father to attend the memorial service the Penn Dance held for her mother when she died ten years ago. The campus looked a lot different now especially at night and because of that, she got off on the wrong bus stop. She got off near the Pottruck Fitness Center on Walnut Street when she should've gotten off near Rosenthal Building on Spruce Street. _Perfect_. _I'm running late and those two are probably gonna kill me_.

When she told Paige that she was going to meet her at Café Prima, Kayla was hoping to spend time with the two girls before she had to help Paige buy her clothes for the dance marathon on Saturday. She wanted to make it up to Emily for bringing up Jai when they had dinner last month and she was hoping that would be tonight. She was thinking of inviting Emily to come with them when they looked for seventies outfits for Paige then hang out in one of the gayborhood clubs after. But because she's running late, she had to make it up to the girl some other time.

Kayla finally rounded a corner and reached Spruce Street, almost breaking into a run when she saw the two girls sitting outside the café but something about them made her slow down. _Huh_. She thought, stopping in her tracks. She didn't really pay much attention to it before since it was rare to see the two girls getting along up until recently. And mostly because Emily was always beside Jai. But now that her sister is gone and she saw the two girls together without Jai... they look... good together. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because of how close the two girls were sitting right now or how they seem to look like they're together even if they're not. But they look really good together. She felt weird. She knows Paige will probably never see her as anything but a younger sister but she still wanted to have a shot. And even if she knew Paige has had feelings for Emily for years, the girl told her last month that she wasn't planning on doing anything about it since it was obvious that Emily isn't over Jai. She should've felt comforted with that thought. But as her gaze drifted to Emily, she realized that the girl was the reason why seeing the two together felt weird.

_Something must've happened. Something huge_. Because something was different with Emily tonight. Kayla couldn't put her finger on it until she saw Paige say something that made Emily throw her head back in laughter. She watched Paige return to reading her book but instead of doing the same, Emily kept her gaze trained on the girl, stealing occasional glances when Paige wasn't looking.

Kayla resumed walking. That's why it felt weird seeing them now. Because it wasn't one-sided anymore. With a sickening feeling, she realized that Emily likes Paige and she didn't know how she should feel about that. She wanted to be happy for Paige. And to some degree, for Emily too. But the girl developing feelings for Paige meant she'd have to keep hiding hers because it was only a matter of time before the two got together.

"I'm so sorry!" Kayla blurted out once she was within hearing distance of the two girls. She forced herself to act and sound normal despite the realization she just had as she got closer to them until she was finally standing in front of the two girls. "I got off on the wrong street." She explained apologetically.

"It's fine." Emily said, giving Kayla a warm smile and offering the chair opposite hers for the girl to sit on.

Kayla pulled out the chair and positioned it so she could study the two girls closely. "What did I miss?" She asked, staring at them expectantly.

"Nothing much. We were just talking about friends becoming more than friends." Paige explained, starting to fix her things so she and Kayla can leave. "Emily here asked if I would try being more than friends with a friend."

"She said no." Emily added, starting to fix her things too.

"Why do you want to know, Em?" Kayla asked, trying to read the girl's expression. "You having feelings for a friend or something?"

"That's what I asked her too." Paige said, looking at Emily as well. "She said she did but now she's having second thoughts about it."

"Why?" Kayla uttered, her eyes never leaving Emily.

"She's not big into commitment." Emily replied.

Now that Kayla is sitting in front of them, Emily realized that having feelings for Paige and telling her about it is complicated for a lot of reasons. Kayla likes Paige. Kayla is Jai's sister. Paige is Jai's best friend. Both of them are considered as part of Kayla's family. She shouldn't be feeling this way about Paige at all.

"I decided not to do anything about it. It's just a crush." Emily added, trying to sound casual. "Paige said you insisted on meeting her here." She said in an effort to change the subject.

Kayla nodded. "Yeah. I wanted to invite you to join us tonight then maybe we can check out the gayborhood after. But since I'm late getting here maybe after the dance marathon on Saturday you guys can hang out with me in one of the clubs. Neither of you are going home to Rosewood." She pointed out.

"My dad's coming over to visit on Sunday morning." Paige reminded Kayla.

"We're not gonna get drunk." Kayla told the girl exasperatedly. "Come on. It's about time you guys checked out some of the establishments there. It's just for a few hours. Think of it as a way to celebrate after the dance marathon."

"Just make sure we're not gonna do more dancing and I'm in." Emily said, curious to check out the gayborhood area.

"Fine." Paige agreed reluctantly when she saw Kayla and Emily look at her. "We better get going." She said, getting up.

"I guess we'll just catch up on Saturday." Kayla told Emily as she stood up. She knew she just got there but it was her fault she was late so she didn't complain to Paige.

"And I'll see you tomorrow for our lecture class." Paige said, looking at Emily when the girl got up as well. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Emily repeated before waving goodbye to Kayla.

Emily watched the two girls walk towards the bus stop near Rosenthal Building, studying Paige as the girl placed an arm around Kayla's shoulders. Right about now Kayla is probably blushing. Her pulse racing just by being near Paige. For the first time she knew how Kayla felt. But unlike Jai's sister who was finding a way to tell Paige her feelings, she was determined to keep hers hidden.

* * *

_4:45 a.m_. _I think I'm too early_. Paige thought, looking away from her watch and starting to fidget on the edge of the couch she was occupying in the lobby of Harrison on Saturday morning. It's not that she was excited to start dancing for twelve hours. She just didn't want to make Emily wait for her. But because she's too early, Emily is probably up in her room right now, running around to finish getting ready. Paige sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before looking down to study her outfit for today's dance marathon. She and Emily decided to wear outfits from the seventies and after a few minutes of bickering with Kayla over the girl's insistence that she wear a dress, Paige finally got her way and bought a seventies white suit that included a white jacket with mock black shirt, a matching white waistcoat and a pair of white flared trousers, an outfit reminiscent of John Travolta's character in the movie _Saturday Night Fever_. She was getting nervous just waiting for Emily to come down from her room and she had to remind herself repeatedly to act normal once she sees the girl.

"Newbie?" Paige looked up from studying her white shoes and stood up when she saw Reese approach her.

"Oh my god you look hot!" Reese exclaimed in greeting as she walked over to the couch Paige was occupying seconds ago. "Ready to knock 'em over? And by that I mean step on everyone's foot with your killer dance moves."

"I'll try my best to keep that from happening." Paige promised, running a hand self-consciously through her hair. "You going for a run?" She asked, gesturing to Reese's running attire.

"Yeah. I'm hoping to accidentally almost run over another hot freshman who needs a lesson on crossing the street." Reese answered as she zipped her green running jacket.

"So that's your M.O.? But I thought that was our thing?" Paige asked, pretending to be offended. "Go ahead. Try looking. I'm pretty sure you won't find anyone else just like me. I'm one of a kind." She said smugly.

"I sure hope so. I don't think I can take it if there are two of you." Reese shot back as she gathered her hair into a ponytail. "I'm guessing you're waiting for Emily. As usual."

Paige nodded. "She said she's going to be down any minute." She revealed.

"Well you better make me proud. And I might've told our teammates that you joined this dance marathon. We're counting on you to win." Reese said, her expression dead serious.

"You're kidding. Right? Please say you're kidding." Paige implored. "I won't hear the end of it!" She exclaimed, making Reese laugh.

"You'll be fine. Just remember to have fun. Come here. Let me fix your collar." Reese said, gesturing for Paige to move closer to her.

Paige stepped forward and let Reese fix the collar of her jacket, her eyes trained on the bank of elevators as she waited for Emily to step out of it.

"Will you relax?" Reese said, letting out a small laugh. "Emily is gonna swoon when she sees you."

"You think so?" Paige asked, looking at Reese nervously.

Reese nodded. "Trust me. She won't know what hit her." She said confidently.

Paige grinned. "Thanks." She said sincerely. She started when she heard someone clear their throat a few steps away from them and felt her pulse race when she saw Emily standing in front of her.

"You're drooling." Reese muttered under her breath, nudging Paige lightly.

Emily pulled down the hem of the go-go costume she was wearing; feeling like her entrance was ruined by Reese's presence. On her way down, Emily could barely contain her excitement when she imagined what Paige's reaction would be when the girl sees her outfit. She kept checking her reflection in the mirrors that served as the walls of the elevator, hoping the short, glittery pink and yellow dress with bell sleeves and cut out plunging neck with collar and cut out back she was wearing would impress Paige. But her excitement was replaced with jealousy when she walked out of the elevator and saw Reese fixing Paige's jacket collar while the girl grinned at her. She felt like she was intruding again and she was annoyed at herself for getting jealous upon seeing Reese be that familiar with Paige.

"Sorry it took me a while to get down here. I couldn't find the other boot." Emily explained, pointing to the pair of white, knee-high leather boots she was wearing.

Paige shook her head. "It's fine. I haven't been waiting that long." She replied, thinking Emily is most definitely worth the wait as she let her eyes take in the girl's appearance.

"Are you sure about that, newbie?" Reese whispered teasingly, earning a glare from Paige. "I live on the sixteenth floor." She told Emily when she noticed that the girl was trying hard not to give her a dirty look. "In case you were wondering what I'm doing here at this hour." She added, fixing her ponytail. "I'm not stalking Paige nor did I spend the night at her place."

Emily felt her face flush. Reese knows. She's sure of it. But for some reason the girl wasn't saying anything to Paige. "We should probably get going." She said, addressing Paige. She wanted to get as far away as possible from the attractive junior team captain.

"Yeah. Okay." Paige replied, stepping towards Emily. "Thanks for fixing my collar." She told Reese.

Reese nodded. "Good luck today." She said to Paige before looking at Emily. "Take good care of newbie for me. She's one of my best runners and she has two left feet in case she hasn't told you." She revealed, touching Paige on the shoulder lightly before making her way outside.

Once Reese was gone, the two girls stood looking at each other until Paige moved another step closer to Emily. "Let's go." She said, touching Emily on the elbow to lead the girl towards the front door.

Emily moved her feet towards the direction Paige was leading her, unable to think clearly since her mind was still filled with the image of Paige in her white suit. She promised that she was going to try to stop herself from liking Paige but the girl was unintentionally making it hard for her.

When Paige pushed the door open and stepped back to let Emily go out first, the girl's hand ended up on the cut out back of her dress and Paige's fingers grazed her bare skin, making Emily's skin tingle at the sensation. She took a deep breath, trying to control the racing of her heart and hoped that the darkness would hide her flushed cheeks.

"You look beautiful by the way." Paige said softly, making Emily's heart race faster. Paige knew she shouldn't have said that out loud. Reese telling her she looked hot was a lot different from when she said Emily looked beautiful. But she couldn't help it.

"Thanks." Emily managed to say when she finally found her voice. "You're not so bad yourself. You clean up really nice." _You clean up really nice?! That's the best you could do? Tell her she looks hot!_

"Here. Wear this for now." Paige suddenly said, making Emily look at her. "It's cold out." She explained, handing closer to Emily the white jacket she was wearing a few seconds ago. "Just give it back to me once we get there."

Emily nodded and took the jacket Paige was offering, wearing it while trying to avert her eyes from Paige now that the girl was just in her white waistcoat and trousers. She pulled the jacket closer to her body, enjoying the warmth the piece of clothing provided from when Paige was wearing it. Emily felt her cheeks grow warmer when she became aware that Paige was looking at her while the girl tied her hair into a ponytail.

"What's wrong? You're not having second thoughts now, are you?" Paige asked, studying Emily's face closely.

Emily shook her head. "Nope." She answered, her mind going blank when Paige suddenly reached out to fix the collar of the white jacket she was wearing. The girl's cool fingers grazed the skin on her neck when Paige gently lifted her hair to pull it out from underneath the jacket, sending shivers down her spine.

"Sorry. You were saying?" Paige asked, casually returning her attention to Emily like fixing collars of jackets on beautiful girls was something she did on a regular basis.

"Uh... I..." Emily stammered, still drawing a blank. "We are going to enjoy this!" She finally exclaimed a little too enthusiastically when she couldn't find anything else to say.

Paige gave the girl a dubious look. "If you say so. But you better watch out for my feet." She warned Emily as they resumed walking towards the Platt Student Performing Arts House.

* * *

"I need to rest for a bit." Emily blurted out as she and Paige continued dancing the Jitterbug.

"We might get disqualified." Paige managed to say as she concentrated on watching her steps, scared she might end up stepping on Emily's feet.

"We won't. We're allowed to have two breaks. We're using the first now." Emily insisted.

"Need I remind you that it was your idea to join this dance marathon? What happened to _we are going to enjoy this_?" Paige asked wryly.

"I _am_ enjoying myself. I just need to rest." Emily confessed, finally stopping and leading the way to the side of the room.

"Are you okay?" Paige asked, watching Emily worriedly.

"Yeah. I just need to put my feet up for a minute." Emily admitted as she looked around the room for an empty chair.

Paige spotted two chairs and hurriedly pulled them towards the girl. "Here, sit." She said, pointing to the chair she placed in front of the girl. "Boots off." She instructed as she placed the other chair in front of Emily.

"What are you doing?" Emily asked, her heart starting to hammer for a different reason.

"You said your feet hurt." Paige pointed out, taking a seat in front of the girl.

"No. I said I just need to put them up." Emily clarified.

"And I'm offering my lap for you to rest it on. Come on." Paige said, tapping her thighs.

"Okay." Emily said when she couldn't find another chair she could use. She took off her boots and timidly placed her legs on Paige's lap.

"Now how do you feel about massages?" Paige asked, studying Emily closely.

"Why?" Emily replied, getting more nervous by the minute.

"Are you ticklish?" Paige continued, placing her hands just below Emily's knees.

Emily felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. "No. Paige you don't have to do that." She said hurriedly.

"Come on. Your legs are sore. Let me help." Paige insisted.

"It's icky. Touching my feet." Emily argued.

"I've touched far worse stuff." Paige pointed out.

"So you admit touching my feet is bad." Emily said wryly.

"No. Don't be silly. It's not a big deal." Paige said, looking at Emily expectantly. "Okay. I won't massage your feet. Just your legs. Come on."

"Okay." Emily uttered, willing her heart to stop racing.

Paige concentrated on massaging Emily's left leg, starting from the girl's ankle and slowly making her way to the girl's toned calf, unknowingly making Emily flustered with her touch.

Emily felt her cheeks flush as she tried hard not to look at Paige. She shouldn't be enjoying it so much. It was just a massage. But Paige was making her pulse race and she couldn't keep her eyes off the girl anymore. She was startled when Paige met her gaze and saw the look of concern that crossed the other girl's features.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked, her voice hoarse.

"Nothing. It's just. Are you okay? Do you want to go home?" Paige asked worriedly.

Emily shook her head. "No. Why?" She asked despite knowing the answer to her question. The girl probably thought she was harboring some sort of serious illness because lately it seemed like she was always coming down with a fever whenever she's with Paige.

"You look flushed. We could just concede if you're not feeling well." Paige offered. "And I can tell Kayla we can't make it tonight."

"I'm fine. I'm not coming down with something." Emily said dismissively.

"Are you sure? Let me just check." Paige said, gently lowering Emily's feet on the floor and getting up.

"What are you doing?!" Emily exclaimed, panicking when Paige approached her. She was well aware that her cheeks were getting redder.

"I'm just going to check to see if you have a fever." Paige explained patiently.

"I don't." Emily insisted.

"How would you know? You have, like, warm hands." Paige pointed out. "Mine are cooler. Come on." She said, moving to place the back of her hand against Emily's forehead.

"Paige I'm fine." Emily protested, swatting the girl's hand away.

"Why won't you let me check?" Paige asked, starting to get frustrated. She's really worried about Emily getting sick again but the girl won't let her help.

Emily stood up abruptly. "See? I'm fine. Let's just get back to dancing, okay?" She pleaded, putting on her white leather boots.

"Okay." Paige repeated, giving Emily a puzzled look as she followed the girl back to the dance floor.

* * *

"Oh come on. You guys didn't even make it to the nineties?" Kayla asked, looking at Emily and Paige incredulously.

"Hey I barely made it to the eighties and Emily here has been flushed since the fifties." Paige said, jutting her thumb to the silent girl seated next to her. "It's a miracle we lasted that long."

"You okay, Em? You still seem a little flushed." Kayla observed, looking at the girl seated in front of her worriedly.

"I'm fine." Emily answered, smiling at Kayla faintly. "It's just a little hot in here." She lied as she fanned herself and let her gaze wander around the crowded bar.

Since the two girls decided not to finish the dance marathon, they had time to freshen up and change into casual clothes before meeting Kayla at Woody's, a club in the gayborhood. Paige didn't even bother to ask how Kayla got in since she knew that the girl had a fake ID. She and Emily, however, didn't need an ID to get in since it was one of those '18 to enter' nights but they brought their fake IDs with them just in case they decided to get an alcoholic drink.

"But this place is great. Right?" Kayla asked, looking at Emily and Paige eagerly.

"Why do I get the feeling that you've been here before?" Paige responded, giving Kayla a suspicious look.

"_I_ haven't. Jennifer Smith however... she might've been here a couple of times." Kayla admitted as she proudly showed the two girls her fake ID.

"Are you kidding me?!" Paige exclaimed, trying to grab the ID from the girl but Kayla moved it out of her reach. "What have you been up to when I'm not around?!"

Kayla rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Paige I'm seventeen. I don't need a babysitter. I go here because it's a great place to meet girls especially on a weekend." She explained, making Paige's eyes widen in shock. "Oh come on you two. Don't be such buzz kills. Look around. This place is teeming with cute girls. Who knows? By the end of the night one of us might even get lucky." She added, studying Emily closely. Kayla stifled a laugh when she saw the girl try hard not to look at Paige to see her reaction and decided to take matters into her own hands. "Hey Paige."

"Yeah?" Paige asked warily, tearing her eyes away from the crowded dance floor to look at Kayla.

"Could you grab us some drinks?" Kayla said sweetly.

Paige rolled her eyes. "I was up dancing for nine hours. My feet hurt. Get it yourself." She shot back, annoyed.

Kayla bit back a grin and looked at Emily. "Care for something to drink?" She asked innocently.

"I _am_ a little parched." Emily admitted.

Kayla returned her attention to Paige and brought her hand to her mouth to hide her grin when she saw Paige immediately stand up. It seemed like the only people who don't know that they have the hots for each other are Emily and Paige. Something had to be done.

"What do you guys want?" Paige asked despite her attention being focused on the girl still sitting next to her.

"Just a soda for me." Emily replied, moving to get her wallet but Paige stopped her.

"I got it." Paige said hurriedly.

"Can I get a beer?" Kayla asked coyly.

"_Yeah_. When one of us orders one." Paige replied sarcastically. "I haven't forgotten that stint you pulled on me in California last year."

"Soda then." Kayla said, grinning at Paige sheepishly.

Kayla watched as Paige slowly made her way across the room to get to the bar until the crowd hid the girl from her view. That part taken care of, she turned her attention to Emily and sure enough, the girl's eyes were practically falling off their sockets as she tried to see where Paige went.

"Relax. I doubt she's gonna meet anyone between here and the bar." Kayla told the girl reassuringly.

"I don't care if she meets anyone." Emily said unconvincingly.

Kayla laughed. "Em, wouldn't it be easier if you just told her how you feel?" She asked, giving Emily a knowing look.

"What are you talking about? I don't feel anything for her." Emily lied, feeling her cheeks burn. Kayla was the last person she wanted to find out about her crush on Paige for a lot of reasons.

"Of course you don't. I also haven't been crushing on Paige since I hit puberty." Kayla shot back wryly. "You _do_ know she likes you too, right?"

Emily shook her head. "I doubt it. We fought so much in high school she'd never see me the same way." She said, finally admitting the truth to the girl. She needed someone to help her figure things out.

"Em, I could barely ask her to get me a drink and I've known her for years. But when you said you were thirsty she got up in such a hurry I think she left her ass on that chair." Kayla pointed out, nodding her head towards the chair Paige was occupying earlier.

Emily felt her pulse race. _Could Kayla be right? Could Paige like me too? They __**have**__ known each other for years. Maybe Paige said something to her._

"Just tell her." Kayla insisted.

"I really don't know how." Emily admitted nervously. "I mean, it's not like I can just come right out and say it."

"Why not?" Kayla asked, looking at Emily quizzically.

"How exactly am I gonna do that?" Emily uttered helplessly. "'_Hey Paige, how's it going? Good? Oh by the way, lately I've been fighting this strong urge to kiss you whenever we're together. How about you?_'"

"Yeah." Kayla replied, smiling at Emily encouragingly.

"I'm not gonna say that!" Emily protested, the mere thought of saying those words to Paige making her palms sweat and her pulse race.

"Come on. You know how dense that girl is. She won't know how you feel unless you tell her." Kayla pointed out. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Emily stared at Kayla disbelievingly. "Oh I don't know. She laughs in my face and starts calling me Sniffles again?" She asked wryly.

"_Or_ she could lean forward and actually kiss you like you've been wanting her to." Kayla shot back. "Look..."

"Paige!" Emily exclaimed nervously when she saw the girl return behind Kayla, hinting for Jai's sister to stop talking.

Paige returned to her seat beside Emily and placed three glasses of soda on the table. "They have those chips you like so much so I ordered one." She said to Emily. "But I couldn't carry it so the bartender offered to bring it over. She's right behind me."

"Thanks." Emily said, catching the pointed look Kayla gave her. She told Paige about those chips in passing last year. But apparently the girl remembered. Maybe Kayla had a point.

"Here she comes." Paige said as she waved over an attractive girl who looked like she was in college just like them.

"Here you go." The girl said, depositing two baskets of chips and several dips in front of them.

"Um, there must be some kind of mistake. I didn't order the other basket." Paige said, looking up at the girl in confusion.

"I know." The girl replied, smiling before sliding a table napkin towards Paige. "It's on me. Maybe you can find me later to pay me back."

Paige returned the girl's smile. "Maybe I just might do that. Thanks." She said as she took the table napkin with the girl's number and followed the girl's progress across the room.

_Or not_. Emily thought, staring hard at Kayla. Obviously the girl was way off her radar. "You know what? I feel like getting a drink with an actual alcohol in it." She said, standing up.

"What do you want? There are a lot of people at the bar. I'll get it for you." Paige offered, refusing to move to let Emily through.

"No thanks. I'll go to the bar myself." Emily insisted.

"But I can get it faster. I know the bartender." Paige pointed out.

"You don't have to remind me." Emily said curtly. "Just let me through." She pleaded, softening her tone when she saw Paige's surprise at her sudden outburst.

Paige gave Emily a confused look but let the girl pass. "Her name's Casey." She said, wanting to help Emily order her drink quicker.

"You're on a first name basis already? That was fast." Emily commented, annoyed.

Paige held up the napkin the girl gave her. "She wrote it down. I didn't know her name before." She explained.

"What do you want?" Emily asked Kayla, ignoring Paige's explanation.

"Hey she can't drink!" Paige reminded Emily.

"Unless one of us drinks and believe me I want to get that drink." Emily said tersely.

Kayla grinned. "Just whatever you're having." She told Emily as she handed the girl her fake ID.

Paige frowned when Emily nodded and left the table without looking at her. "What the hell is her problem?" She asked out loud as she followed the girl with her eyes. "I was gone for a few minutes and when I came back she's in a foul mood. What did you do this time?" She asked Kayla accusingly.

"Me?! God you're so dense." Kayla said resignedly. "Are you gonna call that girl?" She asked, nodding towards the table napkin Paige kept folding in her hand.

"Maybe." Paige said before using the table napkin to wipe the water droplets on the table from her glass of soda. "She's not really my type. I just felt I had to accept her number after she gave me that extra basket of chips." She admitted, gesturing to one of the baskets on the middle of the table before balling the table napkin, looking up to see where Emily went.

"I'm not surprised." Kayla muttered under her breath.

"What's that?" Paige asked, giving Kayla a confused look.

"Paige, we both know your type is sitting right beside you and you're not doing anything about it." Kayla explained. "It's been a month. Are you seriously still not going to tell her how you feel?"

"Yeah. And this is the last time you are bringing it up. I'm serious." Paige said before looking away.

Kayla frowned. "But..."

"Kayla." Paige said, giving the girl a stern look. "Stay out of it."

* * *

Kayla woke up to the insistent knocking on her front door on a Sunday morning, her head pounding. She didn't have that much to drink but the smoke from the cigarettes at the bar gave her a headache. She reluctantly got up and checked the time on her alarm clock, surprised that it was just eight in the morning. Whoever was at the front door better have a cup of coffee with them.

"Em?" Kayla uttered, giving the girl a confused look when she saw Emily standing outside her door once she opened it. "Please say that's for me." She added, looking at the cup of coffee Emily was holding in her hand.

Emily nodded and handed it to Kayla. She glanced behind her towards Paige's closed apartment door, hoping that the girl won't come out suddenly and ask what she's doing here this early.

"Can we talk?" Emily asked anxiously when she was facing Kayla again.

Kayla stepped aside to let the girl in, closing the door behind her while taking a sip of the freshly brewed coffee. "What's up?" She asked as she led the way to her living room. She took a seat on the couch and gestured for Emily to do the same.

"Nothing much. I just wanted to check up on you. When we left the bar last night you were complaining of a headache." Emily reminded the girl as she took a seat next to her. "Sorry if I woke you up."

Kayla shook her head. "It's fine. I'm not doing anything today so I have the whole day to sleep. As for the headache, my head still hurts but it's nothing an Advil won't cure." She told Emily reassuringly. "Now that we've dealt with the pleasantries tell me the real reason you came over."

Emily fidgeted with the hem of her pink running jacket, debating whether or not to tell Kayla what's bothering her. Last night the three of them left the bar past midnight but Emily couldn't sleep when she got back to her room. Good thing Spencer went home to Rosewood for the weekend or she'd have to lie to her friend as to what's keeping her up. She didn't want anyone to know about her crush on Paige. The only reason she was even sitting here with Kayla right now is because she started to grow restless.

Earlier today, when the first rays of the sun hit the window of the room she shared with Spencer, Emily decided to run around the campus to try to clear her mind of all thoughts of Paige. But the opposite thing happened instead. She began growing restless with each step she took, her mind going back to what Kayla said last night. About Paige liking her too, until finally she decided to pay Kayla a visit hoping Paige won't see her. She had to know. She wanted to continue the conversation she was having with the girl last night before Paige came back from the bar.

"What about you?" Emily finally blurted out.

Kayla stared at Emily in confusion. "What about me?" She asked, her eyebrows creasing.

"You like her too. Aren't you going to tell her how you feel?" Emily asked anxiously.

Kayla placed the cup of coffee on the table beside her before answering the girl's question. "I don't just like Paige. I love her, Em." She clarified. "That's why when I realized you like her I didn't know how I felt. But I let a few days pass and I realized that it's not news to me. I've known all this time that I'm not the girl she likes. And as much as I would like to admit to her my feelings, I'd rather be her friend because that's what she needs me to be."

Emily nodded nervously. "Okay. So you're saying I have no competition when it comes to you. But what about Reese? And Dominique?"

"Domi-who?" Kayla asked, confused. "That's the second time I've heard you say that name. I don't know any Dominique."

"She's the girl Paige liked in high school." Emily revealed. "I don't know if she still likes her now since she's seeing Reese and I kind of forgot about her until recently but..."

"Well her name doesn't ring any bells and I've known Paige for years." Kayla interjected, scratching her head in confusion. "Did she tell you what Dominique looks like?"

Emily bit her bottom lip, trying to remember Paige's answer. "Um, she said Dominique is gorgeous. She has brown eyes, long eyelashes, and black hair that flows like silk. And a perfect smile." She added reluctantly.

Kayla started laughing and grabbed her hand mirror that was lying on the coffee table. "Here." She said when she finally stopped laughing, handing the object to Emily.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Emily asked as she took the mirror from Kayla.

"Okay. I want you to describe Dominique to me again but this time look in the mirror while you're doing it." Kayla instructed.

Emily gave Kayla a puzzled look but decided to do as she was told. "Um, gorgeous, brown eyes, long eyelashes, black hair that flows like silk and a perfect smile." She repeated, looking at Kayla once she was done.

"You still don't get it? Em, there is no Dominique. _You're_ Dominique." Kayla pointed out. "Did she tell you Dominique goes to your school?"

Emily shook her head. "No. She said she doesn't go there. Why would she lie?" She asked, confused.

"Well if she told you that Dominique goes to your school you won't stop trying to find this girl. It's easier if she told you Dominique goes to a different school." Kayla pointed out. "What else did she say about this girl?"

"Paige said she can't tell this girl her feelings because it's complicated but they've known each other for years." Emily continued, her heart starting to hammer. _Could it be? Could Paige have liked me all this time?_

"See? All the clues point to you. Just tell her." Kayla insisted as she took the mirror back and returned it on the coffee table. She knew Paige told her to stay out of it but the girl is going to thank her later for interfering.

Emily glanced at the front door then back at Kayla. "You mean now?" She asked, her palms starting to sweat.

"You're here. Might as well get it over with." Kayla pointed out.

"Get it over with? You make it sound so easy. It's not. It's really complicated." Emily admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before slowly getting up. "She might be sleeping." She suddenly said, trying to worm her way out of talking to Paige.

"She's awake. Trust me." Kayla insisted. "I want to be the first to know what happens after!" She called out to Emily before getting up as well.

Kayla grabbed the cup of coffee Emily brought her earlier, taking a sip before heading for the front door to lock it behind the girl when she saw Emily still standing just outside of it.

"What's wrong? Are you chickening out again?" Kayla asked, opening the door wider. She stopped short when she saw Nick McCullers standing outside Paige's front door, waiting for his daughter to let him in.

"Now's not really a good time." Emily muttered, just loud enough for Kayla to hear. She didn't want to admit it to the girl but she was relieved that she had an excuse not to talk to Paige right now. "I'll just go back later." She added, about to try to slip away unnoticed when Paige's apartment door swung open and she stopped in her tracks like a deer caught in headlights.

"Dad. You're early." Paige said in greeting before stepping forward to kiss her father on the cheek. She took a step back and felt her eyes widen in surprise when she saw Emily and Kayla standing just outside of the girl's front door looking at her. "Uh, hey guys." She said, making her father turn around to face them.

"Good morning, Mr. McCullers." Emily said politely in greeting. She tried to remind herself that she's with two other people but her eyes still drifted to Paige and she let herself take in the girl's appearance.

Kayla was right. Paige had been up all this time since the girl was still in her running attire. _Fresh from a run. And of course her cheeks were flushed and her skin looked radiant. It was like Paige knew you like seeing her this way._

"Good morning." Nick McCullers' deep voice reminded Emily that she wasn't alone with Paige.

"Uh dad, this is Emily Fields." Paige said, making the introductions when she remembered that the girl hasn't met her father before. "And of course, you know Kayla." She added, giving Jai's sister a suspicious look. Last night she made it clear that she wanted Kayla to mind her own business when it came to Emily. But from the guilty look Kayla was giving her now, the girl just did exactly the opposite. Why else would Emily be standing in front of Kayla's door this early?

"So you're Jasmine's girlfriend." Nick said in recognition, eyeing the girl closely. "Paige forgot to mention that you're attending UPenn as well. Do you live here?"

Emily shook her head. "No. I live on campus. Harrison College House." She replied politely. Paige's dad had an air of authority around him and she felt like the man was sizing her up. "I was just visiting Kayla." She explained, looking at the girl standing next to her.

Nick gave Kayla a smile when the girl waved at him before returning his attention to Emily. "It's nice of you to keep in touch with the Hayes after what happened. It means a lot to them." He explained before glancing at Jai's sister. "They consider you as family. Logan always speaks fondly of you. He said you're like a daughter to him." He commented, unaware of the effect his words had on Emily.

"Dad why don't you come in? I'm sure you're tired, driving all the way here. You can rest while I freshen up then we can go grab breakfast." Paige said hurriedly, opening the door wider and pulling her father's arm to get him inside. She gave Emily an apologetic look and Kayla an accusing one before closing the door behind her.

"Em, it's not a big deal." Kayla promised. "We won't care if you want to be with Paige."

"That's the thing. I don't know what I want." Emily admitted, staring at Kayla helplessly. "I can't... I gotta go." She said, hurriedly making her way to the bank of elevators. _You want to find a reason to stop liking the girl? Nick McCullers just reminded you of the biggest one_.

* * *

"Ah the Halloween season is almost upon us again. My least favorite holiday." Paige declared when she saw the Jack-o'-lanterns and various Halloween decorations the second she and Emily walked out of their MGMT100 class on Thursday afternoon.

"What? Why? I love Halloween. It's right up there next to Christmas and Valentine's Day." Emily admitted, turning to head towards Café Prima for her shift with Paige in tow.

"I just don't like scary stuff." Paige explained, shrugging nonchalantly.

"What are you talking about? You said you love horror films!" Emily reminded the girl. She glanced at Paige and squinted her eyes suspiciously. "You hate horror films don't you?" She guessed. "Paige?"

"I'm sorry." Paige finally blurted out, caving in. "You think you've seen scared because you saw Jai scared? That was _nothing_. I freak out to the point of passing out. That's how scared I get watching horror movies."

"Then how come you didn't flinch when we watched the Evil Dead Trilogy at the drive-in theatre?" Emily pointed out, puzzled.

"Because I watched those films several times before I took you there." Paige confessed.

"Why?" Emily asked as they crossed a street.

Paige looked at Emily wryly. "I think it would be awkward if I just grabbed on to you and never let go, don't you think? Especially when we still weren't getting along at that time. I watched the films beforehand so I don't embarrass myself." She explained.

"Are you really that scared?" Emily asked, a plan starting to form in her head.

It's been four days since that awkward meeting they had outside Paige's apartment and Emily still hasn't found a way to talk to Paige. She didn't know if it's even a good idea now. She's still attracted to the girl but she didn't know what she wanted and meeting Nick McCullers made her realize that. Still. She wanted to find out if there was any truth to the things Kayla said to her.

"Yeah. Just ask Kayla. I have a vise-like grip and a kung-fu grip that cut off her circulation once. It's not funny!" Paige exclaimed when she heard Emily laugh. "Kayla was traumatized for a week. She thought I was trying to kill her. I'm serious!" She insisted when Emily continued laughing.

"Do you have plans tonight?" Emily asked when she managed to catch her breath.

"Depends. Why?" Paige asked suspiciously. She didn't like the way Emily's eyes were twinkling.

"I think it's time you showed me just how scared you can get. Watch Repulsion with me." Emily challenged.

Paige's eyes widened. "What? _No_! Em, I don't want to hurt you. If you want to watch a movie tonight can we just watch, like, Scary Movie one through five?" She suggested hesitantly.

"You want to watch spoofs? That's boring." Emily commented as they rounded a corner.

"Well better be boring than see you traumatized." Paige shot back wryly.

"Paige you won't drive me away. I promise. I want you to watch with me the film you gave me for my birthday." Emily admitted. "Besides. It's the perfect way to welcome Halloween tomorrow."

_Halloween's tomorrow. That meant today was supposed to be Emily and Jai's anniversary_. Paige studied the girl walking next to her, her eyes drifting to the locket Emily was absentmindedly playing with. That's the reason why the girl wanted to hang out with her tonight. She didn't want to be alone just like last year. Paige sighed. "Okay." She finally said reluctantly.

"Really?" Emily asked, trying to control her grin.

"Yeah. But we better sit a few spaces apart." Paige reminded the girl. "I'd rather the throw pillows experience my grips than you."

"If I promise to cover your eyes on the scary parts can we sit near each other?" Emily asked as they entered the café. _Wow. Look who's using lame moves now just to be near the girl she likes_. She reprimanded herself, but this was her chance to talk to Paige.

"I don't know." Paige said, looking at Emily worriedly. "Can we keep the lights on?"

Emily laughed. "Yeah." She answered. She stood with Paige near the loveseat the girl always occupied, waiting for Paige's final answer.

"Okay. You can cover my eyes." Paige said gamely, making Emily grin. "So I guess I'll just stay here until your shift ends so we can go back to my place together."

"Sounds like a plan." Emily managed to say when she got over her excitement. "I'm going to go work now." She said, pointing to the counter and starting to make her way towards it.

Tonight she and Paige are going to be alone at the girl's place for the first time and the thought of broaching the subject of her attraction to the girl made her feel nervous. But she needed to find a way to make sense of things. Maybe once everything is out in the open they would end up laughing about it because she'd realize that it's not a big deal after all. That she thought she was attracted to the girl because of Paige's sweetness but really she's not. She needed that scenario to be true. Because if it's not... if she's genuinely attracted to Paige... then she didn't know what she wanted to happen next.

* * *

Paige grinned when she felt Emily cover her eyes from behind again, enjoying the feel of the girl's hands against her skin more than the movie. If watching horror films meant she had to sit on the cold, hard floor for hours while Emily sat on the couch behind her, Paige would gladly watch horror movies all day. Emily's hands felt warm against her cold cheeks and for someone who was watching a horror film, her reaction when the scary parts come on the screen wasn't normal. Whoever saw a person grinning when a killer comes into view?!

But Paige has been enjoying sitting on the floor with her knees drawn to her chest, wishing the entire film was scary just so Emily will never have to take her hands off her eyes.

For her part, Emily was enjoying sitting cross-legged on Paige's couch and covering the eyes of the girl seated in front of her when the scary parts come on. She liked moving her hands across Paige's cold cheeks and it was all she could do not to lean forward and smell the girl's hair, maybe even steal a kiss on one of the girl's soft cheeks for no reason. She wished the entire movie was made up of scary scenes so she'd have an excuse to keep her hands over Paige's eyes. When another scary scene was over, Emily shifted from her position to adjust the blanket on her lap that Paige lent her earlier before leaning forward to cover the girl's eyes again.

"Ow!" Paige suddenly exclaimed, her hand flying to her right eye.

"What?" Emily asked worriedly as she moved to kneel on the floor in front of the girl.

"There's something in my eye!" Paige complained, trying to rub it with her right hand.

"Let me help." Emily said, touching Paige's hand. "Don't scratch it."

"Ow!" Paige exclaimed again, keeping both eyes closed this time.

"Come on." Emily coaxed, placing her hands against Paige's cheeks. "You're making it worse."

"_You're_ making it worse!" Paige argued.

"Stay still." Emily instructed. "Now open your eyes. Paige, come on. Don't be so stubborn." She pleaded, worried.

"Okay, okay. I'm opening them now." Paige said before slowly opening her eyes.

Emily blew softly into the girl's right eye, trying to see what got into it until she moved her thumb and forefinger to remove the black speck near the girl's eye. "Eyelash." She muttered, throwing it away. She was suddenly aware that her left hand was still cradling Paige's right cheek and she found herself staring into the girl's eyes.

"What?" Paige whispered, her pulse starting to race when the girl began to caress her cheek. Emily was kneeling so close to her, she knew that if she leaned forward she could capture the girl's lips on hers.

"Nothing." Emily answered, pulling away. "I just... I didn't know you have brown eyes." She lied, trying to control the racing of her heart.

"Is that so odd?" Paige asked, confused.

Emily shook her head. "No. Not at all. I have brown eyes too." She admitted.

"Really? I haven't noticed." Paige lied. "Come closer." She said, holding Emily's left arm to gently pull the girl towards her.

"I'd rather not. I'm fine right here." Emily insisted, refusing to be so close to the girl again.

"But I can't see the color of your eyes from there. Come here." Paige coaxed, moving her hand from the girl's arm to her hand and pulling the girl firmly that Emily lost her balance, finding herself almost lying on top of Paige. "You do have brown eyes." She uttered, staring right into Emily's eyes.

"Paige." Emily whispered, her eyes traveling to the girl's lips as she leaned in a little closer.

"Yeah?" Paige said hoarsely, her other hand almost reaching out to brush Emily's hair away from the girl's eyes. She leaned in closer, her eyes almost drifting close when Emily suddenly pulled away again.

"It's hot. Right? It's not just me? It's hot in here?" Emily asked, disentangling herself from the girl. She was furious at herself for chickening out at the last second but she remembered that the whole point of the night was to know how Paige feels.

Paige studied Emily's flushed cheeks. "Um, must be the thermostat. I'll go check." She offered, getting up.

_Now you made things weird_. Paige reprimanded herself as she headed for the thermostat near the kitchen and lowered the temperature. _Trying to kiss Emily on her and Jai's anniversary. That's really low, Paige_. She thought as she walked back to Emily. She didn't know if she should go back to sitting on the floor or sit next to Emily on the couch but she finally chose to do the latter, making sure that there was some space between them.

"Can I ask you something?" Emily finally said, breaking the awkward silence in the room.

Paige nodded. "Yeah." She replied, turning to face Emily.

"It's about Dominique." Emily continued.

Paige sighed. "Em. Still?" She asked exasperatedly. She thought Emily had forgotten about that name. This is why she told Kayla to mind her own business but apparently the girl won't listen to her.

"No it's just that... you're seeing Reese but not exclusively since you still accept other girls' numbers. I just want to know if you still like Dominique." Emily explained.

Paige studied Emily before speaking, trying to choose her words. "To be honest, I don't know." She admitted. "She'll always be special to me but I like someone else entirely now."

"Oh." Emily uttered. Good thing she didn't kiss Paige or she would've made a fool of herself. "Do you mind if I ask why?"

"Why I like someone else?" Paige asked, giving Emily a confused look. "I guess I grew up. Realized there's no point pining over someone who never felt the same way about me." She explained.

"So she's too late?" Emily asked hoarsely. "If she tells you she likes you now, is she too late?"

"Yeah. She is. I don't want to be with her anymore." Paige said, looking away. "So if you don't mind I don't want to hear her name again."

Emily nodded, biting her bottom lip when she felt her throat constrict. "Okay. Let's just go back to watching the film." She said before handing Paige a throw pillow. "Cover your eyes. The next scene's scary."

* * *

"So what did you think of the film?" Emily asked as the credits rolled, turning her head to the left to look at the girl seated next to her. "Paige?" She whispered when she saw that the girl was resting her head on the arm of the couch with her eyes closed.

_She fell asleep_. Emily stood up and hurriedly pressed the mute button on the remote control before stopping the film. She returned the DVD in its case and turned off the TV before looking around for a pen and paper to write a note telling Paige that she went home. She dimmed the lights, bathing the room in a soft yellow glow and she grabbed the blanket she was using earlier to cover Paige's sleeping form. When she was done, Emily kneeled in front of the girl and stared at Paige.

Right now, without worrying that Paige might catch her looking, without worrying that _anyone_ might catch her looking, she can stare at Paige all she wanted and Emily couldn't decide whether the girl looked like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty.

_If I kiss you. And you woke up. Will you kiss me back or push me away? _Emily asked as she stared at Paige's perfect red lips.

_"Oh my god that is the worst way to die!"_

_"How would you know? You've never kissed me before!"_

_"And I never will. Because __**I**__ have a girlfriend."_

_"Wrong answer."_

_"What? It's the right answer!"_

_"No it isn't! Because your answer means that if you didn't have a girlfriend you'd consider kissing me. That's what your answer meant!"_

_"Eew no. I didn't even consider that when I said I have a girlfriend that's why I would never kiss you. But if you want me to say it bluntly then I will."_

Emily bit her bottom lip, leaning forward until her lips were almost touching Paige's.

_"Don't forget to use lip gloss. Makes your lips kissable."_

_"Hey I don't need to use that. I have kissable lips."_

_Were you lying? Or were you telling the truth all along?_ Emily thought, her breath almost mingling with Paige's.

_"She'll always be special to me but I like someone else entirely now."_

_"So she's too late?"_

_"Yeah. She is. I don't want to be with her anymore."_

Emily pulled away in frustration and instead brushed a strand of hair away from Paige's forehead tenderly, her throat constricting again. She wasn't imagining it. She's genuinely attracted to the girl and it won't go away.

_Paige… what am I going to do?_


	14. sic infit : chapter iv

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

_**Hey guys. *insert huge grin here* Thanks for the awesome reviews and über enthusiasm about this story.**_

_**Yeuchc22, sampledbeats, SevenSixteen and Nae10... Thanks for the PM.**_

* * *

**PART TWO: "Sic Infit"**

_~ So it begins. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Emily gingerly opened the door of the room she shared with Spencer, praying that her friend is already fast asleep. It was way past midnight but usually the girl is still awake at this time of night, either studying for a class or reading for pleasure. Emily slowly exhaled the breath she was holding in when she noticed that all of the lights were turned off and she cautiously stepped inside, gently closing the door behind her.

Once her eyes got accustomed to the darkness of the room, Emily went about changing into her cotton pajamas and loose shirt as silently as possible, not even bothering to use the bathroom for fear that Spencer would stir from her sleep and ask where she's been. She walked over to her side of the room and lied down on her bed, tucking herself under the warmth of her comforter. She was about to close her eyes and try to find sleep when she realized that she forgot to set her alarm clock so she got up into a sitting position and reached for the rectangular object from her bedside table.

_Oct. 31_. Emily felt lightheaded when she saw the date on the blue display of her digital alarm clock, the month and date seemingly glaring at her in the darkness of the room. _I forgot. How could I have forgotten?_ She thought, her hand starting to tremble as she fought the urge to run to the bathroom and throw up.

Yesterday was supposed to be her 4th anniversary with Jai and she forgot. All because she was busy enjoying Paige's company, covering the girl's eyes and almost kissing Jai's best friend. She shouldn't have forgotten. Emily returned the alarm clock on her bedside table and reached for the photo of her and Jai this time. She stared at it for a few seconds, her other hand clasping the locket on her necklace before touching Jai's face miserably.

_I'm so sorry, love_. Emily thought, her eyes immediately burning with tears of guilt and shame. _For forgetting. For the way I've been acting around Paige lately. For almost kissing your best friend last night. For almost cheating._

Emily curled up on the bed with her back turned to Spencer as she continued to stare at Jai's photo. The moonlight streaming in from the windows barely illuminated their room but it was enough for her to see her girlfriend's features clearly. _I don't know what's wrong with me. What's going on_. Emily admitted. _I still love you. Of that I'm certain. There isn't a second I'm here that I didn't wish that you're here with me. But Paige... I'm so drawn to your best friend lately. And I don't know why._ Emily gently wiped her tear-stained cheeks and bit her bottom lip to stifle her sobs.

_I'm such a mess right now and I really miss you. I miss hearing you say to me that everything's going to be okay. I miss having you around and making everything okay. _Emily thought, holding the frame close to her chest. _Things would be so much simpler if you were here_.

Emily buried herself deeper under the covers, overwhelmed by the loneliness she suddenly felt when she remembered the last time Jai was beside her. The last time she and Jai were physically together was when they fell asleep on the latter's bed before Jai had to leave for London the next day. That was also the last time she felt safe. Lying on that bed while being held for a few hours by the girl who made her feel that she's the most important person in her life for three years was comforting. Jai never made her feel confused about anything because the girl has always been upfront about her feelings for Emily.

But Paige. Being around Jai's best friend was disconcerting among other things. Emily knew she needed some time away from the girl. She needed to feel that sense of security again. She needed Jai to pull her back into orbit.

Emily suddenly remembered that she made plans to see another movie at the revival theatre tomorrow night with Paige. But after what happened last night the last thing she should be doing is spending more time alone with the girl. She didn't plan on going home to Rosewood for the weekend since she has exams everyday next week. But she needed to go to the one place she felt close to Jai since the tragedy. The one place where she feels safe. _I have to go home. I can just study for my exams back in Rosewood. I need to talk to Jai._

With the thought of visiting her girlfriend's grave tomorrow afternoon soothing her, Emily finally closed her eyes, welcoming sleep. Even if she isn't around anymore, Jai still had a calming effect on her. She felt like she was losing her grasp on the feeling of certainty Jai's presence gave her and if she needed to travel to Rosewood repeatedly to get it back, she'll do just that.

* * *

Paige gradually slowed down her pace once she rounded the corner of 37th and Walnut Street on a Friday morning, stopping near the entrance of the Pottruck Center to end her second 6K run for the day. She took a deep breath and leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees for a few minutes before standing up straight again. After six weeks of cross country meets, next Friday she will be competing in her first cross country NCAA regionals championships and she needed to be in tiptop shape. She checked her stats on her sports watch and immediately felt disappointed. Reese showed her the stats of the participants in last year's regionals and she has been training to beat the shortest time in running 6K that was made by the first placer from Brown, 20 minutes and 24 seconds.

_20:27. Still off by three_. Paige thought as she reset the stats and checked the time. She was determined to run 6K around the campus several times today until she can bring her time closer than three seconds. _Calm down._ Paige told herself when she began feeling agitated. _You still have a week to train. Don't be too hard on yourself. That won't accomplish anything_. She lifted her damp hair off the back of her neck to wipe the sweat before crouching when she noticed that the laces of her running shoes were undone.

"Em!" Paige called out when she looked up briefly and saw the girl about to enter the building. She quickly tied her shoelaces and got up when Emily stopped walking to wait for her. "Hey!" She said in greeting as she jogged over to the girl.

"Hey." Emily repeated a little less enthusiastically and gave the girl a strained smile. Her day wasn't off to a good start.

Emily gripped the strap of her duffel bag tighter and pulled it closer to her body, casually swinging the bag into position in front of her like the object would create some sort of barrier between them and she'd be immune to Paige's irresistible pull. She didn't know why the girl has that effect on her but Paige standing in front of her all sweaty, out of breath and in a sleeveless shirt and track shorts instead of her usual running gear wasn't helping matters. Emily found her gaze wandering to Paige's long, shapely legs, admiring the girl's toned calves. She was starting to feel disconcerted again.

"Laps." Emily blurted out as she forced her eyes to meet Paige's confused ones. "I'm doing some laps in the Sheerr Pool this morning before I head to my first class." She clarified. "We have our first swim meet next Saturday against Cornell."

"O... kay." Paige said, struggling to keep a straight face. "Good to know. I guess I won't have to ask where you're headed and why. Thanks for volunteering that information." She added teasingly, making Emily realize that Paige didn't ask her anything yet.

"Yeah. Well I figured that's what you're going to ask me." Emily said defensively, feeling her cheeks redden in embarrassment.

Paige nodded, accepting Emily's explanation. "Actually I'm glad I ran into you. I wanted to apologize in person for what happened last night." She explained, tucking a wet strand of hair behind her ear before she raised her arms to tighten her ponytail, unaware of the effect her actions were having on Emily.

"What... happened?" Emily repeated, trying to figure out exactly which part of last night Paige was referring to while struggling to focus her gaze on the girl's eyes. _The almost kiss? The conversation about 'Dominique' and how you've moved on from her?_

"Yeah. I read your note when I woke up this morning on the couch. I'm sorry I fell asleep during the film." Paige said sheepishly.

_Oh. That part of the night_. "It's fine." Emily said reassuringly, hiding her disappointment. "I figured it was bound to happen considering the number of times I told you to close your eyes."

"I'll make it up to you!" Paige promised eagerly. "Tomorrow night. They're showing three classic horror movies at the revival theatre to celebrate Halloween this week. There's Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Take your pick. Or you can choose all three. I won't complain. I'll even bring my own throw pillow to muffle my screams." She volunteered. "And if I get too hysterical or faint when a scary scene comes on, I give you permission to leave me there or tell people you don't know me." Paige cajoled.

"That's not necessary." Emily said without any trace of amusement in her voice. "And I can't this Saturday. I'm going home to Rosewood this afternoon."

"What? But I thought we agreed to see a movie this Saturday?" Paige asked, giving the girl a confused look.

"I know we did. But I really need to go home this weekend." Emily explained, hoping she didn't sound distressed just now.

Paige studied Emily closely. "That's kinda sudden. Last time I checked our plan was still a go this weekend. Did something happen?" She asked, worried.

Emily shook her head adamantly. "I just want to spend more time with my dad. He's going to leave again soon for Afghanistan and I won't see him until next year." She said, admitting to the girl the other reason she decided to go home for the weekend so suddenly.

"Oh. Okay. I guess we'll just see another film some other time then." Paige said understandingly. "Don't worry about it."

"Yeah. Rain check on the revival theatre." Emily affirmed, hoping the conversation would finally end there so she can leave but Paige wasn't done.

"I told Kayla she can join us by the way. It's cool, right?" Paige asked hesitantly.

"Um." Emily uttered, not sure how she feels about that.

On the one hand, having Kayla around might be a good idea. That meant there won't be any awkward moments when they're alone in a darkened theatre. But on the other... a part of Emily still wanted to spend time with Paige alone. She just needed to find a way to stop liking the girl so much.

"Just once. I told her about that Mark of Zorro film we saw and she became interested. She said she wanted to see a silent film." Paige hurriedly explained.

"Why can't her friends come with her instead?" Emily asked, not knowing how to say 'no' without sounding like she was being selfish for not wanting to let someone else come to their revival theatre dates. "I mean, I'm sure if she asked them they'll see one with her. Did she try?"

Paige shook her head. "I don't think so. I didn't ask. I just thought it'd be nice to bring her along once." She admitted, still waiting for Emily to say yes.

"Why? Are you getting bored of watching movies with me?" Emily asked, starting to get upset. She knows Paige is over her. But did the girl have to start spending less time alone with her?

"What? No. Of course not. Em, I love watching old movies with just you." Paige promised. "I guess I invited Kayla because I didn't think you'd mind."

"I don't." Emily insisted. "It's just that… what if she loved it and decided to come with us everytime we watch one? Are you still okay with that?"

Paige creased her eyebrows in confusion, wondering why Emily just won't tell her 'no'. She didn't know why but it was obvious that the girl was reluctant to let Kayla come with them. "You're probably right. I didn't think of it that way. Maybe she won't remember it if I never mention it again." She said offhandedly. "Oh. Hey. Don't forget about our meeting on Sunday night for our MGMT100 project." Paige suddenly reminded the girl in an effort to change the subject. "Eight o'clock. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we don't end up eating at A Mandarin Restaurant again."

Emily smiled faintly, relieved that Paige didn't push the issue of Kayla and silent films. "Yeah. I'll be back before eight on Sunday." She promised.

"Hi." Emily and Paige turned towards the direction of the voice and found themselves staring at a cute girl with cropped, blonde hair. "Sorry to interrupt." The girl said to Emily before focusing her attention on Paige. "It's just that... you're fifth row, third seat." She explained, like those words were supposed to make sense to the two girls.

"Um... ex...cuse me?" Paige uttered, looking at Emily then at the girl quizzically.

"I'm seventh row, fifth seat." The girl continued, confusing Paige further. "Sociology." She added.

Understanding finally dawned on Paige. "Oh. Um... okay. I'm sorry. I don't really pay close attention to my classmates." She said apologetically.

The girl shook her head. "It's cool. It's a big class. I recognized you just now and thought I'd come up to you and say hi before I lost my nerve." She admitted, giving Paige a timid smile. "We're diagonal. I meant my seat from yours in that lecture hall. We're elevated and diagonal so it's hard not to notice you."

Emily fought the urge to roll her eyes at the girl who was obviously about to ask out Paige and studied Jai's best friend instead, curious to see how Paige will handle this one.

"Uh... thanks." Paige replied, starting to feel uncomfortable with the attention especially with Emily standing there.

"Anyway, my name's Tessa." The girl said, finally introducing herself as she extended a hand.

Paige shook the girl's outstretched hand. "Paige." She reluctantly said. "And this is Emily." She added, gesturing to the girl standing in front of her to include Emily in the conversation.

"Nice to meet you." Tessa said, glancing at Emily thoughtfully before releasing Paige's hand. "Are you two...?"

"No. We're not." Emily answered hurriedly when she saw the look Tessa was giving them. "Feel free to ask her out. Pretend I'm not here." She added offhandedly, much to Paige's annoyance.

Tessa let out a relieved laugh. "That's good to hear." She admitted, focusing her attention on Paige again. "It's a Friday so I was wondering if you already have plans tonight? 'Coz if you don't there's this Halloween party in my college house. Gregory? It's not a Halloween party where you have to come in costume per se. But it's a party on Halloween night and we have a film showing of several horror movies if you're into those sorts of things. I just thought I might interest you in coming." She said hopefully.

"Oh. Thanks for the invite but I'm not sure I can make it." Paige replied while trying to rack her brain for some form of decent excuse. "I'm hanging out with a couple of friends and they're not really in the mood to go to a party tonight." She lied smoothly.

Tessa's smile faltered. "Oh. Okay. Well just in case you changed your mind and you and your friends decide to stop by... I'll give you my number." She offered, grabbing Paige's hand and removing the pen clipped on the cover of the notebook she was carrying. "I really hope to see you there." She told Paige when she was done writing and gave Emily a smile before walking away.

Emily watched Tessa round the corner of 38th Street before turning to face Paige. "I see you're still collecting numbers from girls." She commented, barely able to keep the irritation out of her voice despite knowing that she can't be attracted to Jai's best friend.

"What, this?" Paige said, indicating the number on her palm before rubbing her other thumb over it. "I don't plan on calling her. I'm not in the mood to go to some party tonight and... scary movies? Not really my thing. Why would I keep her number?" She continued as she focused on erasing the writing on her hand.

"Do you do this a lot? Not call girls back?" Emily asked, studying the girl closely.

Paige looked up and met Emily's gaze. "I don't know. Maybe? But I mean, if I'm not interested what am I supposed to do? Still call them? I don't like leading people on." She explained before checking to see if the number is gone.

"Then you just should've said that before she even wrote on your hand." Emily pointed out.

Paige smiled. "I barely had time to react, Em. What was I supposed to do? Pull my hand away? I may be rude but I'm not _that_ rude." She explained as she rubbed her hand on the side of her track shorts. "Besides, it's not like I promised her I was going to show up. That's the reason she gave me her number in the first place."

"So if she comes up to you in your Sociology class and asks why you didn't call...?" Emily trailed off, waiting for Paige's answer.

"I washed my hands so I lost her number." Paige replied. "And if she tries to ask me out again, I'll tell her I'm not interested in seeing anybody right now."

"So you and Reese are finally exclusive?" Emily asked anxiously.

"What? No. I said I'm not interested in seeing anybody. Not seeing anybody _else_. Reese and I are just hanging out." Paige insisted. "Why do you keep focusing on me anyway? What about you?"

"What about me?" Emily shot back.

"Why aren't you seeing anyone?" Paige clarified, trying to see if Emily is ready to start dating again. "What happened to that girl you said you have a crush on? Do you plan on asking her out? Do you plan on dating any girl for that matter?"

"It's not like anyone's asking." Emily pointed out wryly.

Paige scoffed. "Are you kidding me?! What about that girl you spilled coffee on? Okay yeah she doesn't count." She hurriedly added when she saw Emily open her mouth to protest. "But she's proof that girls are interested. You just need to start paying more attention to the girls around you. It's you that's the problem." She finally blurted out before she could control herself.

"Meaning what?" Emily asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Meaning you practically have a sign that says taken or grieving or mourning." Paige replied, staring pointedly at the locket on Emily's necklace. "It's like you have this invisible barrier around you and you won't let anyone in."

"I do?" Emily asked hesitantly.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. You do." She repeated.

"Well I'm not." Emily protested. "Grieving or mourning. I think."

"Aha. So you're taken then. Who is it?" Paige asked, struggling to hide her disappointment.

"What?" Emily uttered, pretending she didn't understand what Paige was asking her.

"The girl who made you give off this taken vibe." Paige clarified. "Who is it?"

"There's no vibe." Emily insisted.

Paige rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Yes there is. You're into someone so spit it out. Do I know her?" She asked despite not wanting to hear the answer.

Emily bit her bottom lip, debating whether or not to admit the truth. "You do." She finally said, meeting Paige's gaze head on.

"Well are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?" Paige asked teasingly when a minute passed and Emily didn't say anything.

"No. You don't. It's Jai." Emily answered, chickening out at the last second.

_Of course. Why did I even ask?_ "Can't say I'm surprised." Paige said wryly. "Although with that answer you're technically still grieving and mourning, you know?" She added, giving Emily a small smile. "Well I won't keep you away from the pool much longer. I've gotten enough rest anyway." Paige suddenly said, now eager to put some distance between them.

"Yeah. I should really head inside." Emily agreed, gesturing to the building behind her.

Paige nodded. "Okay. I'll see you Sunday night. Have a safe trip to and from Rosewood." She said in farewell before breaking into a run.

Emily stayed rooted to the spot until Paige disappeared from her sight before turning to head inside the building. Why can't things be so simple? _Out of sight, out of mind_. _Abracadabra_. Why can't her attraction towards the girl just vanish the instant Paige leaves her sight? She wished that there was a way that she could hand over to Paige the part of her brain that kept thinking about the girl and tell Paige to run as far away as possible with it. Maybe if that happened she can forget about her.

It was useless. Going home to Rosewood would be futile. Emily realized that now. But she had to try. Even if Paige lingered in her mind wherever she went, she had to try.

* * *

"Ugh why do we always have to meet at A Mandarin?" Paige complained as she and Emily walked out of the restaurant on Sunday night. "I mean, the first two times were okay. But the _fifth_? I'm going to start turning into a Peking Duck in no time."

Emily laughed. "Why are you complaining? Between us I should be the one doing that. You practically hogged all the egg rolls. I had to remind you that I ordered those." She pointed out. "And if you hate Chinese food so much then why did you order takeout?"

Paige lifted the brown paper bag she was carrying. "This? This isn't for me." She revealed before making a face. "And I don't hate Chinese food. I just hate the fact that it's all we've eaten since we started having these meetings. After tonight I'm _never_ eating Chinese food ever again." She promised. "The next time Vince decides to call for a meeting I swear I am telling our groupmates that I refuse to step inside a Chinese restaurant. I'm putting my foot down."

"Good luck with that." Emily muttered, shaking her head.

"I'm serious. Chinese food throws me off my game because it ruins my diet. I'm training hard as it is. I need to train thrice as hard if I plan on burning off those calories." Paige explained, fixing the strap of her backpack on her shoulder. "And on any other week I won't complain. But considering the week I'm going to have starting tomorrow I don't have time for that."

Emily felt the smile on her lips falter. Going home to Rosewood for the weekend did its thing. Everything in that place was familiar and it gave her a sense of security. It gave her a chance to go back to the days when things were so much simpler. Reminisce her life with Jai. She didn't get much studying done, but being back in Rosewood made her feel like her life in UPenn existed in a different reality and a part of her wanted to stay in Rosewood for good. Returning to UPenn scared her. This place is new and unfamiliar and there was one girl who constantly reminded her of that.

Visiting her girlfriend's grave didn't make up for forgetting their anniversary and for almost kissing Paige that night. But talking to Jai there, without anyone listening, Emily felt she had a better grasp of things. On why she's so drawn to Jai's best friend lately. Or so she thought. Seeing Paige tonight made her feel like she didn't go home at all. Like she was still out of orbit. Even if she decided not to say anything despite her attraction towards the girl, she was still struggling to fight it and Paige saying things like she needed to run more or train harder wasn't helping matters at all.

"Yeah I have my plate full this week too." Emily finally said. "This is my first official hell week since we started going here in UPenn." She admitted as they walked towards the bus stop. "I have exams everyday."

"I only have two exams this week but I have that cross country championship on Friday so I have to train everyday aside from having to study." Paige explained, starting to feel exhausted just thinking about it.

"I never thought I would say this but I'm actually jealous of you right now." Emily admitted, laughing lightly. "You have it easy. Just two exams? You don't get to call this your hell week just yet."

Paige gave the girl a faint smile. "I guess you're right." She agreed weakly. She couldn't possibly explain to the girl why two exams were hard for her. Not without telling her everything. She grabbed her phone from the back pocket of her jeans when she felt it vibrate and hurriedly answered the call when she saw who was calling. "Hey. I'm on my way."

_Reese_. Emily thought, immediately getting jealous. That's why Paige is walking in the same direction as her. Just when she thought that the girl was doing something sweet for her, like walking her to the bus stop, Paige was actually walking with her because she was headed to Harrison too.

"Yeah. Chow Mein noodles and dumplings like you ordered." Paige said into the phone, unaware of Emily's disappointment.

_The Chinese takeout. Of course it's for Reese_. Emily felt faint. Paige is really over her. The girl kept saying that she and Reese are just hanging out. But Paige isn't interested in going out with other girls. She probably just didn't want to make a big deal out of it but she's serious about Reese. The attractive junior could very well be Paige's first girlfriend and Emily didn't know how she felt about that. It's not like she wanted to be Paige's girlfriend. After all, she still loves Jai. She just knows she's attracted to the girl and Paige being with someone made her jealous.

"Yeah I'm on my way. 1605." Paige repeated, nodding her head. "Yeah. Yeah. I'll be there in thirty. Okay, bye."

"You're meeting Reese tonight?" Emily asked once the girl returned her phone in the back pocket of her jeans, trying to seem indifferent.

Paige nodded. "She asked me to buy her these when she found out that we're having dinner at A Mandarin." She explained. "We made plans yesterday."

"Oh. And how does her roommate feel about that?" Emily asked as they stopped walking once they reached the bus stop. "I mean, I'm assuming you're staying over since it's really late." She added when she checked the time on her watch and saw that it was already past ten.

"Reese doesn't have a roommate." Paige revealed, making Emily's stomach turn.

_They're going to be alone_. "So you're really staying over? Spending the night there?" Emily asked hoarsely, glancing at the backpack the girl is carrying.

"That's the plan." Paige admitted. "She said her room has a couch so I could probably just crash there if I'm too tired to go home."

_Too tired?_ "Why are you coming over to her place anyway?" Emily asked, relieved to hear that Paige planned to sleep nowhere near Reese tonight but confused as to what the two girls would be doing that would make Paige tired.

"To hang out." Paige answered vaguely. The truth is, Reese is going to help her pull an all-nighter for her Econ10 exam tomorrow night.

"Is that supposed to be code for something?" Emily asked, looking at the girl suspiciously. "Whenever I ask about you and Reese you keep saying that the two of you are just hanging out."

"Because we are. It's not code for anything. It's just plain hanging out." Paige lied. "Bus is here." She blurted out before Emily could ask any more questions.

Emily threw Paige a confused look, wondering why the girl is lying to her. She didn't get it before but now she did. Paige wasn't telling her something. She didn't know what was going on but the two girls weren't just 'hanging out.'

* * *

"And then I just add the mushrooms and the onions I sautéed earlier before I add the sour cream." Kayla explained as she continued stirring the ingredients of the Beef Stroganoff she was cooking. "Season it with salt and pepper of course. Then I just let it cook until the sauce is hot. Not boiling. Just hot. Then I'm done."

"That smells amazing." Emily admitted as she watched Kayla slowly stir the sauce in the pan. "Thanks for helping me out with this."

Kayla nodded. "I prefer not mixing the sauce with the egg noodles. I tend to pour it over the pasta when I'm about to eat. That way it doesn't end up all soggy and the noodles don't absorb the sauce." She explained as she tasted the dish with a clean spoon. "I didn't know your dad loves Beef Stroganoff."

"He does. I tried searching for recipes off the Internet but when I tasted your cooking I figured I'd rather ask for your help." Emily admitted as she watched Kayla add a pinch of salt before stirring the sauce again. "I really want this farewell party for him to be perfect. I won't see him until next year so I want to be able to cook for him all of his favorite dishes."

"When's he leaving again?" Kayla asked as she finally turned off the stove.

"Day before Thanksgiving. But he isn't going to leave for Afghanistan yet. He just needs to be at the base a week earlier." Emily explained. "So technically this going away party is sort of our Thanksgiving dinner with him as well. Only with a few more people around and the food not the ones we usually cook on Thanksgiving."

"If you want I can help you prepare for the party. I know it's a school day but I'm sure I can miss one day of school." Kayla offered.

"I'm tempted to say yes but I don't want to get you in trouble." Emily said, looking at Kayla uncertainly.

"You won't. My dad won't find out. And even if he does, you and I both know how much our parents get along." Kayla reminded the girl.

"I don't know. It's still a few weeks away so I can't say yes right now. But in case I do need your help, I'll call you the day before." Emily decided.

Kayla grinned. "Deal." She said, washing her hands on the kitchen sink and drying them before heading to the living room and sitting on the couch. "So I've been meaning to ask. Have you had a chance to talk to Paige since that awkward hallway meeting?"

Emily shook her head. "I was at her place Thursday night but when I tried to broach the subject of Dominique she shut me out." She confessed, the words Paige said to her that night coming back. "Well she didn't shut me out immediately. But she said she doesn't want to be with me anymore and then she asked that we don't talk about it ever." She continued, taking a seat next to the girl.

"What? That's not true!" Kayla protested.

"She doesn't know that I know there's no Dominique, Kayla. Why would she lie about it? She thinks I believe that Dominique is a different girl so it was like she was confiding in me. She said Dominique will always be special to her but she likes someone else." Emily explained. Despite not knowing what she wanted, repeating the words Paige said to her last Thursday night still made her feel disappointed. "But it's probably better this way. It's less complicated."

"Em, I swear Paige still likes you." Kayla insisted.

"Are you sure about that? Because I'm starting to think that Paige is just being sweet." Emily said, finally sharing her thoughts to someone who's alive. "Ever since Jai died Paige has been sweet to me. It's not like her behavior now is any different from then. I think that's why I've been so confused. Because she's really sweet."

"You don't like that?" Kayla asked quizzically. "That's one of the best things about Paige."

"I know. And I do like it. A lot." Emily admitted. "But that's the problem. Because her being really sweet makes me so confused. I don't know if she's doing it because she likes me as something more or because she's just that way when it came to people she cares about. She goes out of her way to do these things for me and just when I think she might feel the same way about me she says and does something that makes me realize that I'm just reading too much into things."

Kayla smiled at Emily understandingly. She knew that if she just kept talking she'd eventually convince Emily that Paige really likes her. But that meant telling everything Paige said to her in confidence and to some extent, telling Emily everything about Paige and the girl won't forgive her if she did that. She's doing this for Paige but she had to remind herself that there should be boundaries as well.

"Yeah I've been there. It's hard when you have a friend who's sweet to you and you feel something for them. It makes you start assuming and second guessing everything when you're around them. I felt like that around Paige the more time we spent together. Until one day she told me that I was the younger sister she never had. That's why she's that sweet and protective of me." Kayla admitted. "That was like, the day she broke my heart."

"Can we please just talk about something else?" Emily pleaded, realizing that apart from the whole heart being broken thing, she and Kayla are in the same situation now. Except Paige saw Kayla as her younger sister while she was the girl her best friend left behind. Paige was making sure both of them are doing okay.

"Sure. How about that dinner here on Wednesday night with my dad?" Kayla reminded the girl.

"Right." Emily almost forgot about that. "What's the occasion again?" She asked, giving Kayla a curious look.

"No occasion. He just wanted to check in on me and he thought he'd invite you and Paige over for dinner since he's here. He said it's been a while since he's seen you." Kayla explained. "You'll be here, right? You know how much my dad loves having you over."

"Yeah. I can make it. I have exams this week but the one on Wednesday is in the morning so I won't be late. What time is it?" Emily asked, checking the time on her watch too. "The dinner." She clarified when she saw Kayla's confusion.

"Oh. It's at eight." Kayla replied, smiling.

"Okay. I'll be here." Emily promised, grabbing her shoulder bag from the coffee table before getting up. "I have to go. I'm meeting Spencer and some of our floormates for dinner."

"Say hi to Spencer for me." Kayla said as she followed Emily towards the front door. "We haven't gotten a chance to talk since that dinner we had in August."

"I'll tell her that." Emily said, giving Kayla a brief hug before the girl closed the door behind her.

* * *

Once she was alone in the hallway, Emily took out her phone from the pocket of the denim jacket she was wearing and started to blindly make her way towards the bank of elevators, pressing the down button while typing a message to Spencer that she'll be there soon. "Hey." Emily looked up when she heard Paige's voice in front of her, surprised to see the girl when the elevator doors opened.

"Hey." Emily repeated when she finally found her voice. Paige looked worn out. She glanced at the brown paper bag that Paige was holding in her left hand and the dripping umbrella in the other and made a guess. "You're just getting home?" She asked, checking the time on her watch again. It was almost nine.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. Came from my exam in Econ10." She explained as she got off the elevator, glancing at the floor and grimacing when she saw the water droplets.

Emily knew she was running late. She should just ride the elevator before its doors closed, tell Paige she'll talk to her some other time since she was trying to make a conscious effort to avoid being alone with the girl as much as possible but instead she found herself lingering.

"How was it?" Emily asked, her eyebrows creasing in concern.

Paige groaned. "Brutal." She confessed, letting out an exhausted sigh. "I left the McNeil building with my stomach growling so I thought I was hungry. But now I realized I wasn't hungry at all. I was anxious." She said wryly. "I think I pretty much failed that exam. Anyway, have you had dinner yet?"

Emily shook her head. "No. Why?" She asked despite knowing the answer to the question.

Paige lifted the brown paper bag she was holding to show it to Emily. "I ordered way too much food from A Mandarin." She revealed.

"That's weird. I seem to remember you told me yesterday that you will _never_ eat Chinese food ever again. What happened?" Emily asked, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice.

"Econ10 happened." Paige answered. She was so exhausted that she didn't have the energy to defend herself to Emily right now. "I was thinking of drowning my sorrows in comfort food tonight the second I submitted my answer sheet to my professor. But as soon as I paid for these I realized that I wasn't in the mood to have a pity party for one after all and it's going to haunt me in the morning. So I could really use the company. What do you say?" She asked, giving Emily a hopeful look.

"Um... I don't know." Emily uttered, reluctant to be alone with the girl in her apartment again.

"Come on. It's raining hard outside. It's best if you just wait for it to stop. Join me for dinner. I have egg rolls." Paige revealed, trying to bribe Emily. Ever since she almost kissed the girl last Thursday night, Emily has been distant and she was trying to get things to return to normal.

Emily bit her bottom lip. _Say no. Come on. You can do it. It's a simple word. One syllable, two letters. N-O. No_. "Sure. How could I possibly turn those down?" She answered, making Paige grin. _Nice. You'll __**so**__ be over her in no time_.

"Great. Come on." Paige said as she led the way to her apartment, taking out the keys from inside her messenger bag. "So I take it you just came from Kayla's?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah. I was asking for her help in cooking some of the food I plan on serving for my dad's going away party. I want it to be perfect." She admitted as she followed Paige inside.

"Well you came to the right person to ask for help. Kayla's so good at what she does that I avoid having dinner with her as much as possible. She knows only to serve salad greens and fish if she wanted me to join her for dinner." Paige said as she closed the door behind Emily.

"And yet you bought Chinese food tonight." Emily pointed out, starting to laugh.

Paige glared at the girl. "Hey come find me after your exam in Econ10. Then we'll talk." She shot back, making the girl laugh harder.

Emily headed straight for the living room and deposited her shoulder bag on the couch while Paige placed her messenger bag and the brown paper bag on the island kitchen counter. The girl then grabbed two plates and busied herself with taking out the boxes from inside the paper bag while Emily took the opportunity to change the message she was going to send to Spencer, telling her friend that she won't be able to make it to dinner after all since Kayla insisted on teaching her how to cook a recipe that would go well with the pasta. She felt guilty as soon as she hit the send button. But for some reason she wanted to keep the fact that she was having dinner with Paige a secret. She looked up just in time to see Paige walking towards her with the cartons of food and the plates and Emily pocketed her phone to help the girl.

"Thanks." Paige said, giving Emily a grateful smile. She placed the takeout boxes on the coffee table and sat down, moving to her right to give Emily space to sit next to her.

"At least your exam in Econ10 is over." Emily said as she handed Paige one of the plates. "Mine's on Thursday night and I haven't gotten the chance to study for it yet because I have that Calculus exam tomorrow night at the Cohen Hall."

"Speaking of. Kayla told you about that dinner on Wednesday night with Logan, right?" Paige asked as she started opening the cartons of food.

"Yeah. I told her I'll be there since my Chemistry exam on Wednesday is in the morning." Emily replied, looking around for the chopsticks. "Our prof wanted us to take the exam during our lecture class which happens to be at nine in the morning." She added wryly. "That means I have to make my way from my Econ10 class in the McNeil building to the nineteen seventy three wing of the Chemistry laboratory in _thirty minutes_. I told you it's my hell week."

Paige gave the girl a sympathetic smile. "At least you can make it to the dinner on time. I told Kayla I might be running late."  
She said as she counted the egg rolls inside one of the takeout boxes. "My Sociology exam on Wednesday is at night." Paige continued, taking two egg rolls with a fork and transferring the rest on the other girl's plate.

"What are you doing?" Emily asked, staring at the egg rolls then at Paige.

"You like egg rolls, right?" Paige said, giving Emily a smile that made the girl's eyes crinkle on the corners.

_Wow you're cute_. "Yeah. But so do you." Emily pointed out, suddenly getting flustered.

Paige shrugged. "You love them more. There's crispy noodles and orange chicken anyway." She said, pointing to the other takeout boxes on the coffee table.

"You _really_ were planning on having a pity party for one, huh?" Emily asked teasingly.

"Yeah. That's how brutal that exam was." Paige pointed out as she continued dividing the food she bought into their plates.

Emily bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling. Scooting closer to Paige, she grabbed the fork from the girl's hand and split the third egg roll in her plate into two before transferring half of it to Paige's. The girl looked at Emily and shook her head in amusement before taking back the fork.

"Remember when we used to fight over food?" Emily said quietly as she studied Paige from the corner of her eye. _When things used to be so simple?_

Paige smiled wryly. "Sitting across from you in that dining table every Saturday morning? How could I forget? You know I was just trying to get a rise out of you, right? I don't even like bacon that much." She admitted, hit with a sudden wave of remorse when she remembered the lengths she went to just to make Emily despise her in the past. And what she would give to take all of those times back.

"I know." Emily replied, realizing how much their relationship has changed in the few months that they began spending time together. It was like she was seeing the girl for the first time and she liked it. A lot. "Paige?"

"Yeah?" Paige said, stopping from transferring some of the noodles to Emily's plate to look at the girl.

"I wish we didn't fight all the time back then." Emily admitted, looking away.

_Yeah. Me too_. "Why?" Paige asked, focusing on transferring the rest of the noodles on her plate.

"No reason." Emily answered, grabbing her plate to start eating her dinner.

"What do you say to having dinner with me again tomorrow night after your Calc exam?" Paige asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice. She really wanted to spend more time alone with the girl despite what almost happened last Thursday. "I can wait for you outside Cohen Hall." She offered.

"Let's see how dinner goes tonight first." Emily said, trying to gauge if she can now function like a normal human being who doesn't blush everytime the girl she likes is around.

"Okay." Paige said before leaning forward to grab her plate from the coffee table, her movement causing a strand of hair to make its way to her face.

Emily fought the urge to tuck it back. Instead, she watched Paige tuck the strand of hair behind her ear as she continued to fix her plate and Emily felt her pulse race. She let her gaze wander across Paige's features, from the girl's long eyelashes to her cheekbones, to her perfect nose and soft, red lips. She stared at Paige's long slender neck and studied the girl's creamy complexion.

_I'm so stupid_. Emily thought, frustrated that she didn't notice sooner how beautiful Paige is. And now she felt like it was catching up to her. Paige is, in a word, stunning. She said that when they were in high school but she didn't think much of it. But now, sitting beside the girl, she realized how much she had been blind.

Emily sighed. _I wish we never fought in high school. It would make things a little easier now_. She wouldn't have to hide her growing feelings for the girl because she knew she would have an actual shot at making Paige feel the same way about her. But because they constantly fought, Paige will never see her the same way again and she felt scared because right now, sitting here beside Paige, she had a feeling that her attraction towards the girl isn't going to go away anytime soon. And she didn't know what to do.

* * *

Paige hurriedly crossed Walnut street from the Franklin building, aware that she's running late meeting Emily for dinner. Last night before the girl left her apartment, she was finally able to convince Emily to have dinner with her again tonight. But because she decided to stay behind to do more laps in the Franklin Field this afternoon, she lost track of time and when she was done freshening up and cleaning her apartment, she was running late.

Breaking into a run, Paige went past Locust Walk and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the Cohen Hall in the distance. Maybe Emily won't get mad at her. After all, she's just ten minutes late. She kept her fingers crossed as she continued running, ready to ramble on and on about the reason why she's late when she saw that the front of the building was void of people.

_Didn't she wait for me?_ Paige thought, confused. She took out her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and checked to see if Emily sent her any messages but the only message she got was from Reese. Telling her to meet the girl in Harrison around ten o'clock so Reese could help her study for her Sociology exam tomorrow night. Paige hurriedly sent a reply before pocketing her phone once again. She looked around before studying the building in front of her. Despite things still being a little awkward between them, she knows Emily will tell her that she didn't want to have dinner with her. The girl won't say yes then abandon her. Paige checked the time on her watch and saw that it was almost nine fifteen. _Emily said her exam was until nine. She can't have gotten that far. So where is she? Actually, come to think of it... where's everybody?!_

Proving a hunch, Paige decided to make her way up the stone steps of Cohen Hall and pulled the door handle to see if it was locked, smiling when she saw that it wasn't. She didn't know exactly where Emily's Calculus exam was so she went to sit on the top step of the stairs and took out her phone to send a message to the girl.

* * *

Emily closed her eyes in frustration and cradled her head in her hands, praying that once she opened them, the answer to the problem she's been trying to solve for the past 45 minutes will come to her. She would gladly yell 'Eureka!' in the middle of the lecture hall so long as she came to a solution. She took a deep breath and finally opened her eyes, her gaze immediately focusing on the open book on the table next to hers. They were required to sit two chairs apart in the spacious room and the exam was open book. Something she felt excited about before the exam started. Now she wished she didn't bother bringing the thick book with her since it was useless anyway. She reluctantly turned the pages of the book for what felt like the hundredth time, trying to find a formula that was close to the one she knew she needed and started when she felt her phone vibrate. Emily checked the time on her watch and groaned inwardly when she realized that she lost track of time. She was supposed to meet Paige for dinner afterwards but she was so focused on taking the exam that she forgot to text the girl. She took out her phone from the front pocket of her jeans and hurriedly opened the message, aware that the butterflies in her stomach right now weren't caused by the exam in front of her.

_I'm outside Cohen Hall. What time's your exam gonna end?_

Emily discreetly checked to see if her Calculus professor was looking towards her direction before typing a reply to Paige.

_Got an extension. Maybe around 11 or 12? You don't have to wait. Rain check on dinner._

Emily hit the send button and bit back a groan when her phone suddenly died. _Damn it_. Now she can't tell Paige that the professor just extended the exam until midnight. She glanced at her watch to check the time. _9:25_. She tried to look behind her to see if Paige was lurking just outside the door but the guy sitting behind her gave her a dirty look.

_**Please**__. I'm not going to copy off you. Like I can even see your answer from here_. Emily thought indignantly before facing forward once again. This was one of those times that she wouldn't mind if Paige didn't hang around to wait for her. She actually hoped that Paige would go home after the girl waits for a reply and doesn't get any. _It's not like we're dating or anything. She has no reason to wait for me_. She thought, trying to convince herself that it was okay yet still feeling disappointed.

* * *

Paige fidgeted as she sat on the top step of the stairs outside Cohen Hall, swatting insects that landed on her arms every few seconds. She sent that text to Emily more than an hour ago but she didn't get any reply. Either the girl was busy taking her exam that she didn't notice the message, the girl was busy taking her exam that she couldn't reply, or Emily's phone died. She wanted to call the girl to try her last guess but if that wasn't the case and Emily's phone rang in the middle of her exam, she wouldn't hear the end of it. Paige studied her surroundings, trying to look for something. It was already past ten and there aren't that many stores open around campus at this time of night. If Emily's exam was going to take longer, by the time it ends the entire campus would be almost deserted and she wasn't going to risk letting Emily walk home by herself. She hurriedly typed another message and sent it to Emily before standing up and dusting the back of her jeans.

Walking down a few steps, Paige then dialed Reese's number, dreading having to tell the girl that she won't be coming over. She walked down the rest of the steps and reached solid ground just as Reese answered her call.

"Hey. Yeah. I know I'm running late. But as it turns out I can't make it tonight. I know. I'm sorry but something came up. No it's fine. I'll figure it out. I've studied most of the terms anyway. I can just review in the morning. After training? Are you sure? Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Bye." Paige said before ending the call. She quickly pocketed her phone and glanced at her watch before breaking into a run, hoping she could return before Emily's exam is over.

* * *

"Finally." Emily muttered and closed her eyes for a brief moment when she finished her exam, uttering a silent prayer of thanks while resting her eyes. Her brain stopped functioning around eleven and she's not even sure her solutions to the last Calculus problem made any sense.

Standing up, Emily made her way to her professor's desk, managing to give the old man a smile before slowly making her way towards the exit. She was thirsty, hungry and she felt like she was going to collapse any second now from sheer exhaustion. She barely stifled a groan when she realized that Harrison was a few blocks away from here.

As she followed the other students exiting the building, Emily caught sight of a familiar long, brown hair and gorgeous smile just outside the main entrance that instantly made her exhaustion disappear. It was instead replaced by happiness and disbelief and Emily fought to keep her expression neutral.

_She's still here_. Emily thought, the butterflies in her stomach doing somersaults. Paige didn't have to wait for her. But the girl did. And she didn't know what to think of it. She likes Paige so much that a part of her wanted to believe the girl felt the same way about her that's why she was doing this. But like she told Kayla, in the months that followed after Jai died, Paige changed her behavior and attitude towards Emily. This didn't happen overnight. It wasn't just recently that the girl became this attentive and sweet to her. That's why Emily had to hide her feelings. Paige was just... unbelievably sweet. It wasn't because the girl liked her romantically. At least not anymore. That's just the way Paige is. And it was starting to make Emily feel confused.

"You waited?" Emily said once she and Paige were standing in front of each other.

Paige nodded. "I know you had a good reason for not replying to any of my messages. I was ten minutes late." She admitted. "But when I got here I didn't see anyone so I checked to see if the building was still open. I figured the professor must have given you guys an extension so I decided to wait. I wasn't going to let you walk back to Harrison by yourself. It's past midnight." She pointed out.

"Thanks." Emily said while reminding herself that Paige is over her. _She's just being nice to you because of Jai_.

"Oh. Um. Here. I almost forgot." Paige said, rummaging inside the brown paper bag she was carrying which Emily didn't notice until now. "I risked making a quick run to the nearest store I could find that was still open earlier. I thought you might be thirsty and hungry after your exam and it's really late. I doubt there are that many stores open at this hour. Not near here." She added as she handed a bottle of water and a sandwich to Emily. "And I got a bag of chips." She continued, waving the food in front of the girl.

Emily couldn't fight the smile that tore across her lips anymore. Paige thought of everything and now she wished that the girl was doing this because Paige still has feelings for her. By now, the area they were in was completely deserted. It was just the two of them standing outside the darkened building. Stepping forward, Emily gave Paige a quick kiss on the cheek to thank the girl without saying anything this time.

"We can walk while you eat or you can eat here." Paige heard herself say despite the pounding of her heart. "I think you'd be more comfortable eating while sitting down instead of walking though."

"I think so too." Emily admitted, grateful for the excuse to spend more time with Paige.

Paige gestured for Emily to sit on the cold top step of the stairs and sat a few spaces beside the girl before opening the bag of chips and facing it towards Emily. She grabbed the bottled water from the girl's hand and opened it as well before setting it down next to the chips.

"Here. Let me get that." Paige offered, transferring the thick book Emily was cradling on her lap to hers so the girl will be comfortable eating her dinner. "Dig in." She said as she nodded her head towards the sandwich Emily was holding. "I didn't know what kind of sandwich you wanted so I bought one of each. I think you're holding a roast beef. But I also have tuna, chicken and pork if you want something else. There's also a vegan sandwich." She added, studying the contents of the paper bag.

"Roast beef is fine." Emily told Paige reassuringly. "Have you eaten?"

Paige nodded. "While waiting for you." She admitted sheepishly. "Sorry."

Emily laughed. "Paige you don't have to apologize. I'm not going to get mad at you for having dinner without me. I was actually going to send you a message telling you not to wait for me but my phone died." She explained as she unwrapped the sandwich Paige bought her.

"So how was it?" Paige asked, tilting her head to the side to look at Emily. "The exam." She clarified.

"I think that exam turned my brain into ooze." Emily answered wryly as she got one chip from the bag and ate it.

"That bad, huh? I'm dreading taking my exam next week." Paige admitted, making a mental note to ask for Reese's help again when they see each other tomorrow.

"You still have exams next week?" Emily asked, giving Paige a consoling smile when the girl nodded. "I don't have much going on next week. I just have this seminar on Philanthropy and Capitalism that I have to attend on Friday night. It's for my Critical Writing class."

"Philanthropy and Capitalism?" Paige repeated, giving Emily a wry smile. "You chose a topic that's way too serious for me."

"What? It's interesting for me." Emily said defensively. "It's all about the possibilities of using corporate philanthropy to solve social problems."

"And now I'm sleepy." Paige said, pretending to yawn. "Please tell me the venue is at least somewhere that's vibrant."

"It's in the auditorium at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology." Emily admitted reluctantly.

"And what time is the seminar if you don't mind my asking?" Paige continued, trying hard not to laugh.

"It's usually in the mornings but just this once our professor scheduled it from seven thirty until nine. He's conducting another seminar outside of UPenn." Emily explained.

"I don't know which is worse. Me attending your seminar or taking my Calculus exam." Paige said thoughtfully.

"The Calculus exam." Emily replied without hesitation. "Definitely. Ours was open book."

"Then the seminar is worse." Paige concluded.

Emily shook her head. "You say that now. When I heard my prof announce that it was open book I felt relieved. But tonight I realized that is something students should never be excited about." She confessed before she finally took a small bite off the roast beef sandwich she was holding in her hands.

"Why's that?" Paige asked, studying the girl closely.

Emily swallowed her food before answering. "Because it meant that the answers aren't there." She explained, letting out an infectious laughter that made Paige smile. "I spent almost an hour trying to find anything related to the problem I was trying to solve only to realize that I had to derive the formula I needed from one of the formulas in the book."

"Well at least you had a starting point." Paige said consolingly. "And if you were able to derive the formula you're officially a geek."

"I'm not a geek!" Emily protested. She could barely make Paige like her again, now the girl was calling her a geek.

"What's wrong with being a geek? I think it's hot." Paige admitted, making Emily stare at her in surprise. "I mean, just look at Kayla. That girl has been into comic books since I've known her. And I don't mean this to be offensive or anything but girls who look like Kayla shouldn't be into comic books. That would make them the perfect combination of beauty and geek. Makes them more desirable to guys or in Kayla's case, girls. That's why girls who look like Kayla are supposed to be into Vogue or Cosmopolitan or something. Although Kayla should be in the cover of Vogue." She added wryly.

Emily felt a tinge of jealousy. "So you think Kayla's hot?" She asked, trying to swallow the portion of sandwich she just started chewing despite her mouth suddenly running dry. She placed the sandwich on her lap and grabbed the bottle of water to take a sip from it.

Paige shrugged. "I'm not blind. Kayla's definitely a looker." She affirmed, oblivious to the other girl's feelings.

"So why aren't you trying to pursue her? I told you she likes you." Emily reminded the girl as she began playing with the foil of her sandwich.

"And you know she's not my type." Paige pointed out, confused as to why Emily is bringing this up again.

"What's your type then?" Emily asked before she could help herself.

Paige gave the girl a quizzical look. "Why do you ask?" She replied, starting to grin teasingly. "Don't tell me..."

"No way!" Emily exclaimed before Paige could finish her sentence.

"Seriously?" Paige asked, surprised.

"Yeah. I mean, like I'd ever." Emily shot back, wishing she could stop her cheeks from blushing. Good thing it was really dark.

"Okay. I guess I'll just ask for Kayla's help then." Paige said, shrugging. "It's not like it's a big deal."

"Wait. What were you trying to say?" Emily asked, starting to get anxious. If Paige talked to Kayla, there was a big chance that the girl would find out how she's been feeling around her lately and she couldn't let that happen.

"I don't know. What were you trying to say?" Paige repeated, giving Emily a puzzled look.

"I thought..." Emily trailed off. "I mean... what were you going to say earlier?" She asked again, feeling like an idiot.

"I thought you wanted to know what my type is because you wanted to set me up with someone. What did you think I was going to say?" Paige asked cautiously.

"That. That's why I said no way." Emily said, relieved that the girl gave her an excuse.

"Okay. Then like I said, I'm just going to ask for help from Kayla." Paige repeated slowly. "No harm done."

"Why do you want to see other girls anyway?" Emily asked, biting her bottom lip anxiously.

"_Other girls_?" Paige repeated, smiling wryly. "Em, in case you haven't noticed I'm not seeing anyone right now."

"What about Reese?" Emily reminded Paige.

Paige furrowed her eyebrows. "Reese? We're just..."

"Hanging out. Right." Emily said, finishing Paige's infamous response everytime she asks about what she's doing with the attractive junior team captain. "Okay. Why do you want to see _a girl_? Are you getting tired of hanging out with me?"

"What? Of course not." Paige said firmly. "But unless I get to kiss you, I want to be with a different girl for that reason. Are you saying I can kiss you?" She asked, her pulse starting to race when she thought back to what almost happened last Thursday night. She could've sworn those few seconds when she leaned in closer to the girl and her eyes almost drifted close, Emily wanted the same thing she did but then the girl pulled away from her.

Emily felt her stomach flutter. She wanted to say yes. Definitely. But she felt like Paige was teasing her right now.

"That's what I thought." Paige said, hiding her disappointment when she mistook Emily's silence to mean no.

Emily cleared her throat awkwardly. "It's getting late." She said, deciding not to finish eating her sandwich. She just lost her appetite anyway. "We should probably start walking home."

"Uh, okay." Paige said, confused by Emily's sudden desire to head back to her college house. "Are you okay? You barely ate that sandwich."

Emily nodded. "I'm fine. I'm just really tired." She explained, grabbing her Calculus book from Paige's lap before getting up. "And I have that Chem exam tomorrow morning."

"Gotcha." Paige replied, reaching for the open bag of chips and placing it inside the paper bag. "Hey, Em." She called out, grabbing Emily on the arm before the girl could descend the steps. "I'm sorry." She uttered, deciding to play on a hunch.

"For what?" Emily asked, giving the girl a confused look.

"If I made you feel like I crossed a line again just now. I don't want things to be awkward between us. I shouldn't have asked if I could kiss you. It won't happen again." Paige promised.

_Again? When did she...? The almost kiss last Thursday_. "It's fine." Emily said, not meeting Paige's eyes. Maybe she shouldn't have pulled away at the last second. Just let Paige kiss her. Now Paige thought she was being inappropriate. "I can take a joke. You've made fun of me for years. I'm used to it." She added, trying to sound upbeat before descending the steps.

"Right." Paige muttered before she followed Emily.

Paige didn't think much of it before but now she realized that Emily will probably never take anything that comes out of her mouth seriously if she decides to confess her feelings. The girl had a point. She made fun of Emily for years and she didn't know how to make the girl listen to her.

"Here. Let me get those." Paige offered when she finally fell into step beside the girl, grabbing the bottle of water and unfinished sandwich in Emily's hand and putting it inside the paper bag as well. "Maybe you can give once of these sandwiches to Spencer or something. I'll just take the pulled pork for Kayla."

Emily nodded wordlessly and continued making her way back to her college house. She wanted to tell the girl that what Paige asked wasn't the reason why she became upset. It was because she wanted Paige to stop talking and just kiss her because she would gladly kiss the girl back. She couldn't bring herself to make the first move because she couldn't take it if Paige pulled away. She would be humiliated. If Paige kissed her first, at least she would know that Paige felt the same way about her.

_You're right. You shouldn't have asked, Paige. You should've just kissed me_.

* * *

"I appreciate you joining us for dinner tonight." Logan said, giving Emily a warm smile as he cut into the baked salmon on his plate on Wednesday night. "Considering you have exams everyday this week it means a lot."

"I did miss sharing a meal with you and Kayla so it's no trouble at all." Emily replied, smiling at Logan in return. It really was no trouble even if she felt tired. Because although she is desperately lacking sleep for the past two days, having dinner with the Hayes was more important to her.

"What time is Paige arriving?" Logan asked, looking at his daughter who was seated next to her.

Kayla checked the time on her watch. "She's going to be here soon." She promised.

Emily casually reached for the glass of water in front of her and took a sip, trying to act normal despite the sudden racing of her pulse. She didn't know if she could act like nothing's changed once Paige enters the apartment. The last thing she needed was for Logan to ask why her cheeks are flushed. She won't know what to tell Jai's father. She almost choked when she heard the knock on the door and gracefully wiped her mouth with her table napkin as she steeled herself to seeing the girl.

"That must be Paige." Kayla said, giving Emily a knowing look before getting up.

Emily cleared her throat and smiled at Logan again before pretending to eat her dinner, cutting her fish into bite-sized pieces without actually eating them as she fought for composure. But it was no use.

"There she is!" Logan exclaimed jovially when he saw Paige enter the room behind Emily, making the girl drop her utensils.

"Sorry." Emily muttered, feeling her cheeks starting to grow warm when Logan and Kayla looked at her. _Get it together_.

"Sorry I'm late." Paige told Logan apologetically. "It took me a little longer to finish my essay and by the time I did it was raining hard." She admitted, pulling the chair beside Emily and taking a seat next to the girl. "I decided to wait until the rain let up a bit so I can make a dash for it. I forgot to bring my umbrella."

Emily took a sharp intake of breath when Paige's arm brushed against hers and she shifted in her seat, moving the chair slightly further from the girl as she tried to force her brain to trick her stomach into thinking she's starving. She watched from the corner of her eye as Paige ran a hand through her hair, wiping some of the water droplets from her skin before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear when she leaned forward to reach for the plate of fish in front of her.

"It's fine. We were just starting." Logan said as he handed Paige the plate of baked salmon. "So how are you two doing?" He asked, bringing his hands together in front of him and studying the two girls seated across the table.

"Fine."

"Okay."

Emily and Paige answered at the same time, making the two girls laugh nervously before sharing a glance.

"I'm fine." Paige clarified before pointing to Emily and giving the girl a grin. "She's okay. I think I'm better than her right now."

"Well I still have two more exams this week so I can't say I'm great." Emily managed to say in a normal voice.

Logan gazed at the two girls fondly before speaking. "Look at you two. No more bickering." He said, beaming at Paige and Emily. "I never thought this day would come. I wish Jasmine is here to see this." He said wistfully. "She would've been ecstatic if she could see you two now. The two most important people in her life next to me and Kayla finally getting along."

Paige transferred some steamed asparagus onto her plate and busied herself with trying to eat her dinner, feeling guilty as to the real reason why she and Emily didn't get along before.

"Remember when the two of you couldn't stand each other in front of breakfast?" Logan recalled, unaware of the two girls' discomfort. "Paige would always steal that last piece of bacon on the serving plate just when Emily is about to take it and Jasmine would have to interfere to fix things."

Emily smiled weakly and brought a forkful of salmon to her mouth. Logan was right. Jai had a way of making things better. She wished she could go back to that time. Things were so much simpler and the one person who made her feel safe was alive.

Unlike her father who seemed oblivious, Kayla saw the distress the two girls were in and she tried to put a stop to the conversation. "Dad..."

"Emily. It really means a lot that you're still spending time with us." Logan continued, giving the girl a strained smile. "Looking after Kayla, acting like her older sister now that Jasmine isn't here. Having you around makes me miss Jasmine a little less." He admitted. "In the three years that you spent time with us, you've been a huge part of the family. I hope that will never change."

Kayla was about to teasingly tell her father to tone it down a bit but one look at the man seated next to her made her realize that her father was barely holding it together. He was a professional at work. But at the end of the day he's a man who lost two women in his life and Kayla can't comfort him because her father was keeping her at a distance. She hasn't come to visit their house in Rosewood since she started her senior year at Girard because her dad wouldn't let her. So this is the first time she's noticed how much her sister's death has taken its toll on him. _Maybe it was a good thing that Emily decided not to tell Paige for now_.

"If the two of you wouldn't mind, I'd like to keep the tradition we have of having a post-Thanksgiving dinner even if Jasmine isn't around. If you girls don't have plans with your family, I would love for the both of you to join me and Kayla in Rosewood the day after." Logan said, making Kayla's eyes widen in surprise. "It's just so nice to see the two of you getting along. It'd be a nice change. It's the first time that we'd sit around that table since Jasmine..."

"My dad's going to be in California so I don't have any plans." Paige hurriedly said when she saw Logan's composure falter. "How about you Emily?" She asked, turning to face the girl seated next to her.

Emily nodded. "My mom's going to visit some of our relatives after Thanksgiving. I don't have any plans either." She admitted.

Kayla gave the girls a grateful smile. They didn't know it but the two girls just gave her a reason to come home for the Thanksgiving break. Not only that, they also gave her a chance to spend time with her father as well.

"Then it's settled. Kayla and I will be cooking for four." Logan declared, touching his daughter's arm briefly before eating the rest of his dinner.

Emily studied the three people seated around the table with her as they ate their dinners and tried to go back to eating hers as well but she ended up pushing the food around her plate instead. She stole a glance at the girl seated next to her and was surprised when she saw Paige meet her gaze. She gave the girl a strained smile before finally deciding to finish her dinner, desperate to head back to the room she shared with Spencer. She never wanted to lose touch with Jai's family. It was one of the things that she cherished most out of her relationship with the girl. That her family and the Hayes got along really well since their parents approved of their relationship. She needed to stay away from Paige. And that starts tonight.

* * *

Paige turned her back to the entrance of Harrison on a sunny Thursday morning, eager to get back to training but Reese was apparently taking her time upstairs. She and the girl had been running around campus since five o'clock in preparation for the regionals tomorrow. Paige managed to get her time to that of the student from Brown who came in first last year but she told Reese that it wasn't enough so the girl decided to train with her today.

_Hurry up_. Paige thought before checking for the time on her watch. It was almost seven o'clock. She was losing precious minutes because Reese insisted on returning to her room just to pee instead of just using one of the bathrooms in the buildings they passed. The girl said something about needing to pee in the comfort of her own bathroom whenever she ran around campus. Which to Paige made absolutely no sense at all.

Paige sighed and began doing some stretches to pass the time. She turned around when she heard the main door open, ready to give Reese a hard time for possessing a tiny bladder when her face lit up instead.

"Em." Paige said when she saw that the girl was busy rummaging inside her messenger bag to notice her.

"Hey." Emily replied when she finally looked up. "What are you doing here?" She asked when she saw Paige's attire.

"Waiting for Reese. We've been running around campus for hours. We have the regionals tomorrow." Paige explained. "You seem a little early getting to class."

"I'm headed to the Lippincott library." Emily answered. "Actually I'm running a little late so I have to go." She said, turning her back to leave.

"Whoa. Hey. Wait!" Paige called out as she grabbed Emily's arm to stop her. "What's the rush?" She asked, confused. Just now it felt like Emily was blowing her off.

"It's across campus, Paige. There's no rush. I just need to get there before my classes start." Emily pointed out.

Paige released her hold on Emily's arm. "Okay. Sorry. I just thought you were avoiding me or something." She admitted, studying Emily closely. "I mean you're not. Right?"

"Of course not. Why would I?" Emily lied. She glanced at her watch and frowned. "I really have to go. Say hi to Reese for me." She said before making her way to Locust Walk at a brisk pace.

"_Say hi to Reese for me_?!" Paige repeated incredulously as she watched Emily's retreating back. Now she knew something was definitely wrong.

* * *

_Class dismissed_. Upon hearing those two words, Emily quickly got up from the chair she was occupying in the front row of her MGMT100 class that afternoon, aware that Paige wanted to speak with her. The entire time she was trying to listen to the lecture, she was aware that Paige's eyes were trained on her. She made sure that she was late getting to class that the only seats left available were in the front row. She didn't mind sitting next to a complete stranger and being called for recitation several times. Right now that was better than sitting next to Paige. She quickened her pace, desperate to widen the distance between them before the girl caught up to her. But she wasn't fast enough.

"Hey." Paige said, tapping Emily on the shoulder lightly as she fell into step beside the girl.

"Hey." Emily repeated without so much as a glance at the girl, accelerating her pace as she headed towards Harrison. She had an Econ10 exam tonight and she told John that she won't be able to come to work today since she needed to cram for it.

"You headed to work?" Paige asked, trying to make conversation as she matched Emily's pace.

Emily shook her head. "Not today. No. I have my Econ10 exam tonight." She explained. "I really need to get back to Harrison so I can study. I'll see you around."

Paige stopped in her tracks. "Okay that's it. I give up. Did I do something wrong?" She asked anxiously, making the girl stop in her tracks as well.

Emily took a deep breath, struggling to keep her expression neutral before turning to face Paige. "Why would you ask me that?" She said in reply.

"I don't know. I feel as if you're avoiding me. This morning when I tried talking to you outside Harrison then this afternoon in class you ignored me when I tried telling you I saved you a seat." Paige explained, studying Emily closely.

"No. You didn't do anything wrong." Emily answered. "I'm just really busy. I told you it's my hell week. I'm sorry if you felt like I was avoiding you this morning but I have an exam tonight so my mind is preoccupied. I haven't done much studying for it." She added. The truth was, she _did_ see Paige standing outside Harrison as she was about to head out. That's why she pretended she was busy looking for something inside her bag in the hopes of ignoring the girl. But Paige saw her.

"Right. Hell week." Paige said understandingly, starting to feel guilty for making a big deal out of things although Emily's answer still doesn't explain why the girl didn't sit next to her in class. She decided to try again. "So can we have that dinner we're supposed to have the other night? I can wait for you outside the McNeil building." She offered.

"I don't think so. I might be too tired afterwards and I just want to go to sleep." Emily said, relieved that she was able to say no this time.

"Oh. Okay. Rain check then?" Paige asked, smiling at the girl.

"I really have to go." Emily said without answering Paige's question. She turned her back to the girl and hurriedly crossed the street, praying Paige wouldn't follow her this time.

Paige frowned, studying Emily's retreating form. _Okay. Emily is lying. She's really avoiding me_. _What's going on with her?_

* * *

"Well did you ask her?" Reese said, looking up from the magazine she was browsing to stare at the girl seated beside her.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. I asked her if I did something wrong. She said no." She said, groaning before closing her eyes and falling backwards on Reese's bed.

"So what's the problem? She said no." Reese repeated, grabbing a small stuffed lion and throwing it at Paige to force the girl to open her eyes.

"Ow!" Paige exclaimed, rubbing her abdomen before getting up. "She said I didn't do anything wrong but I really feel like she's avoiding me." She admitted, handing the stuffed toy back to Reese.

"How come?" Reese asked as she took the stuffed lion and placed it next to a small stuffed elephant and a small stuffed hippo. Her girlfriend was slowly turning her bedroom into a stuffed zoo.

"Well this morning while I was waiting for you outside Harrison I saw her. I tried to strike up a conversation but she blew me off. She said she needed to get to the library at Wharton which is across campus so I didn't think anything of it. I mean I understand. But then she told me to say hi to you. No offense but when did she ever do that?!" She asked incredulously. "And then this afternoon in our MGMT100 class I saved her a seat but she ignored me and sat beside someone else."

Reese laughed. "And based on that you think she's avoiding you already?" She asked disbelievingly. "Paige, so what if she chose to sit somewhere else? Maybe she didn't see you."

"She saw me." Paige insisted. "We always sit together and we always occupy the middle seats in the third row. This afternoon she chose to sit beside a _guy_." She pointed out. "And yeah, maybe she just wants to sit beside a guy for a change but that's highly doubtful. And this is the same guy we were making fun of because he kept sitting beside girls who sat by themselves in class. The other girls noticed it too so they began sitting in groups. Emily and I call him Nomad. She chose to sit beside Nomad than sit next to me." She repeated, hurt.

"Ooh, yeah. That doesn't sound good." Reese admitted, grimacing.

Paige groaned. "See? She's avoiding me. So after class I caught up to her. I wanted to push the issue but she said she has that Econ10 exam tonight so I asked if we could have dinner after. She turned me down. Not even a rain check. She just ran away from me." She explained.

"Now this makes sense." Reese said, pointing to their place on her bed while shaking her head. "I was surprised when you asked if you could hang out in my room for a few hours. I thought spending time with me during track practice wasn't enough for you but apparently you're just waiting for her to get back so you can talk to her." She guessed.

Paige gave the girl a guilty look. "Sorry." She said sheepishly.

"You should be thankful I don't get offended easily." Reese said, smiling at Paige. "But she might get mad if you ambush her. After all, that Econ10 exam is not for the faint of heart. The last thing she needs is to come back to her room and see you standing outside waiting to pounce on her."

"Pounce? You couldn't have used a better term? You make it sound like I'm a stalker or a robber." Paige said wryly. "I just want to figure some things out. Maybe she's avoiding me because Kayla told her that I like her and she's not comfortable with it." She said dejectedly. "I saw them standing in the hallway outside Kayla's apartment a few days ago. Kayla looked guilty. I just know she said something to Emily. Maybe that's it. Maybe that's why Emily is so weird around me lately."

Reese shook her head. "Trust me. She's not gonna avoid you if this Kayla person told her that you like her." She said reassuringly. "Who's Kayla by the way?"

"She's my best friend's younger sister." Paige replied. "One of these days I'm going to introduce the two of you to each other. She's awesome. You'll like her."

"Why haven't I seen her around?" Reese asked. "Does she go here?"

Paige shook her head. "She's still a senior in Girard." She explained as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and brought her knees to her chest.

"Girard? Here in Philly? Small world. That's where my girlfriend studied before she transferred to our school in Pittsburgh." Reese admitted.

"It's about to get smaller because that's where I went too with my best friend before we transferred to Rosewood High." Paige said, laughing at Reese's shocked expression.

"I guess Girard prides itself with hot girls. Is Kayla hot too?" Reese asked curiously.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. She is. _And_ she's an awesome cook." She added proudly.

"Then you should've introduced me to her sooner. I could've used her culinary skills two weeks ago." Reese admitted, sighing.

"So I'm guessing the anniversary surprise for your girlfriend didn't go as planned?" Paige asked, feeling guilty for talking about herself and her problems all the time.

"Well it didn't go bad. But it didn't go well either." Reese confessed. "We're working on it though so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we make it."

"Here's what I don't get. Why aren't you living with her?" Paige asked, giving Reese a puzzled look.

"Are you kidding me? What's not to get? You saw where I dropped off Brian. It's so far from campus." Reese complained.

"But she drives to and from Drexel." Paige pointed out.

"I can't afford to do that. I train every morning. I grab breakfast there whenever I can but other than that I don't spend the night there." Reese explained. "Besides, I can't exactly live with her family. It's just weird."

"But she spends nights here?" Paige asked, looking around Reese's bedroom. The unit Reese chose to live in has a living room, a bedroom and a kitchen. It was practically an apartment.

Reese nodded. "Whenever she can. That's why I opted not to have a roommate." She admitted.

"How did you two meet?" Paige asked, now curious to hear Reese's love story.

Reese gave Paige a wry smile. "It was hardly romantic, newbie. I'll tell you our story if you tell me how you met Emily." She bargained.

"You know what? You're right. It's probably a boring story so let's talk about something else." Paige suggested, reluctant to tell anyone how she and Emily met. That was something she wanted to keep to herself.

"Thought so." Reese said, laughing. "The Sigma Deltas are throwing a party next week."

"I'm not really big on sorority parties." Paige admitted, making a face.

"How would you know? Have you been to one before?" Reese asked. When Paige shook her head, she continued. "Well it's about time you attended one." She insisted. "It's part of the whole college experience plus it's Lori's sorority." Reese added, referring to one of their teammates.

"I don't know." Paige said hesitantly.

"Okay how about this? If the talk with Emily doesn't go as planned tonight, come with me to the party on Thursday. It'll help keep your mind off her." Reese promised.

Paige sighed. "Fine." She finally agreed, making Reese grin. Paige looked towards the windows when she suddenly heard the thunder.

"What's wrong?" Reese asked, looking towards the windows as well.

Paige hurriedly got up from Reese's bed and walked closer to one of the windows. "Do you have an umbrella?" She asked worriedly when she glanced at the time on her watch and saw the rain start pouring heavily outside.

"Yeah. It's over there." Reese said, pointing towards her study table.

Paige walked over to the table and grabbed the red umbrella. "You don't have anything bigger?" She asked when she saw that it was a folding umbrella.

Reese shook her head. "Sorry." She said, getting up as well. "I could borrow from one of my floormates if you want." She offered.

"No it's fine. I guess this'll do. Can I borrow it? I promise to return it to you tomorrow." Paige said, starting to get anxious.

"Yeah. That reminds me. Be sure you're at Franklin Field before five. Coach Steve said he wanted to talk to all of us before we head to State College." Reese explained to the girl whose mind was obviously elsewhere already.

Paige nodded. "Okay. Before five, Franklin Field. Got it. I won't be late. Thanks for this." She said, waving the umbrella before heading out.

* * *

Emily pocketed the pen and calculator she used for her exam inside her jacket pockets before following the rest of her classmates out of the lecture hall, ready to head home. She remembered Paige telling her a few days ago that the Econ10 exam was brutal and tonight she proved that Paige was right.

_And of course you're still thinking about Paige_. Emily thought, shaking her head. Her attempt to stay away from the girl all day didn't lessen the number of times Paige crossed her mind. Emily looked ahead and stopped in her tracks. It was fleeting but she could've sworn she saw Paige sitting just outside. But that's not possible. She made it clear that she didn't want to have dinner with the girl. It was just probably someone who looked like her. She gave her head a firm shake. It was bad enough that she can't stop thinking about Paige, now she's seeing the girl everywhere. Emily took a deep breath and finally stepped out of the lecture hall.

"Hey." Paige said in greeting as she stood up from one of the benches lining the hall outside the McNeil building.

Emily looked up. "Paige." She said, surprised. So she wasn't imagining things. "What are you doing here?" She asked, giving the girl a nervous smile.

Paige looked really good tonight in the leather jacket she wore when they stood under the rain on her birthday. The look gave off a sort of masculine air around the girl and Emily felt her heart skip a beat. Paige looked really hot and she doesn't seem to know it, which for Emily, added to the girl's appeal.

"Waiting for you." Paige admitted, smiling as she approached Emily.

"Why?" Emily asked, her pulse starting to race as the girl got closer to her, unable to take her eyes off Paige.

Paige's eyes crinkled as she grinned. "Do you happen to have an umbrella with you?" She asked as she looked past Emily.

"No." Emily answered before taking a look behind her and saw the heavy rain just outside the building. In her nervousness when she saw Paige, she didn't hear the sound of the heavy rain. "I see." She said, turning once again to face Paige.

"Yeah. Back in high school you told me you're not one to carry an umbrella unless it was already raining when you leave your house. This morning the sun was high." Paige explained.

"You remembered that?" Emily asked, surprised.

"It's not too long ago and you'd be surprised at the things I remember." Paige said, smiling mysteriously. "Anyway, come on. I'll walk you home." She said as she began to walk past Emily.

"You don't have to do that." Emily said, suddenly getting flustered at the thought of having to walk under the rain with Paige. That meant brushing arms, brushing hips, brushing shoulders and the thought of being that close to Paige made her feel lightheaded.

"Come on. This rain isn't about to let up anytime soon." Paige said above the sound of the downpour, the sky supporting Paige's argument when the rain intensified. "If you're not comfortable sharing an umbrella with me I'm sure I can borrow one from one of the maintenance workers." Paige volunteered as if reading Emily's mind. "Or I could wait with you until the rain stops. Either way I'm not leaving without you."

"No. Sharing an umbrella is fine." Emily said hurriedly.

"Okay then. Come on." Paige said as she took a few steps before opening the umbrella, waiting for Emily to join her.

Their progress was slow. It was almost zero visibility and they had to take small steps just to see the road ahead of them. Add to that Emily's consciousness of being so close to Paige and they had a hard time walking under the rain.

"Careful." Paige suddenly said when she spotted an open drain. "Here. You stay on this side of the pavement." She instructed as she moved to touch Emily's back while she changed places with the girl, the gesture sending a shiver down Emily's spine.

Emily forced herself to ignore the feeling. When Paige didn't remove her hand, she bit her bottom lip to keep from grinning. She liked the feel of Paige's hand on the small of her back.

"Watch it." Paige said as she guided Emily away from a puddle, her arm wrapping around Emily's waist tight.

Emily was sure that Paige heard the pounding of her heart despite the sound of the rain around them and she wished the other girl wouldn't see how flushed her face was getting.

"So are you going to tell me why you've been avoiding me?" Paige suddenly asked. Unless Emily was willing to get sick rather than answer her questions, the girl wasn't going anywhere and she realized that just now.

"I'm not avoiding you." Emily insisted.

"Yes you are." Paige said softly. "You've been avoiding me all day and I don't know why."

Emily heard the hurt in Paige's voice and glanced at the girl. "I'm sorry." She finally said. "I'm just trying to figure some things out."

"What does it have to do with avoiding me?" Paige asked, looking at Emily.

Emily's gaze traveled to Paige's lips and she looked away, scared that Paige would realize the truth. "Your shoelaces are untied." She pointed out when her eyes drifted to the ground and she saw Paige's sneakers. "You should probably tie it first before we keep walking. Wouldn't want you to trip."

Paige nodded when it became obvious that Emily didn't want to talk about the reason why she's avoiding the girl. She removed her arm from around Emily, much to the other girl's disappointment.

"Can you hold this for a sec?" Paige asked as she handed the umbrella to the girl.

"Sure." Emily replied, surprised that her brain was still functioning enough for her to form a reply. When her hand made contact with Paige's, the sensation almost made her drop the umbrella but she recovered quickly.

Emily watched as Paige crouched and began fixing her shoelaces, making sure that the tiny umbrella was covering the girl. She didn't mind getting a little rainwater on her arms so long as Paige stayed dry.

"Hey Paige?" Emily said quietly when she realized that in her surprise and anxiety she forgot to thank the girl earlier.

"Yeah?" Paige answered distractedly as she finally stood up. _Note to self. Don't wear sneakers again unless it's summer or spring. Now I have to wash these when I get home_. "I'll take that now." She said as she took from Emily's hand the umbrella once again. "You were saying something?" She asked when they stopped in front of an intersection.

"Yeah. I, uh... forgot to do something when you picked me up." Emily continued as she stared intently as Paige.

"Oh yeah? What is it?" Paige asked as she looked at both ends of the street to see if they can cross it. _Good thing Emily's class is just across the street from Harrison. At least she'll be home in no time._

"This." Emily said as she leaned forward to kiss Paige on the cheek.

Paige turned to face Emily. "Okay let's..."

The rest of Paige's words never made it out of her mouth the second she felt Emily's lips brush against hers and they both pulled back in surprise. Emily swallowed hard, the sensation taking her breath away yet wanting to feel it again.

Paige stared at the girl standing in front of her, silently asking what to do next. She didn't need to wait for an answer. Because just as quickly as she pulled back, Emily closed the distance between them and kissed Paige once again, one hand grabbing Paige by the waist to pull the girl closer to her while her other hand cupped Paige's cheek as Emily deepened the kiss. Paige knew this time it wasn't an accident. She knew it with absolute certainty that she dropped the umbrella she was holding in order to free both hands and pull the girl closer to her, letting herself get lost in the intensity of Emily's kisses.

Emily let herself be pulled into the kiss, her brain shutting down the second she felt Paige's soft lips move against hers urgently. Paige was kissing her back. Paige was kissing her back with so much passion that she felt her knees go weak. She definitely liked kissing Paige and Emily felt herself leaning in for more. She didn't mind that the rain was drenching them. All she wanted was for the kiss to last because kissing someone never felt this amazing and breathtaking. She never wanted to stop kissing Paige.

_What are you doing? She's Jai's best friend_.

Emily's eyes snapped open and she hastily pulled away from the other girl, bringing one hand to her mouth to try to erase the sensation of Paige's lips on hers but it was no use. She was shivering and she knew it wasn't from the cold.

Paige struggled to catch her breath, aware that she was trembling. "Em." She uttered breathlessly before she took a small step closer to the girl when she saw how confused and scared Emily seemed.

Emily took a step back from Paige when the girl reached out to touch her and shook her head. "This didn't happen." She whispered hoarsely, tears starting to blur her vision before running across the street away from Paige.

Running away as fast as her feet would allow her from the only girl who made her feel alive with just a kiss.


	15. sic infit : chapter v

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

_**Sorry for the late post. Work seriously sucks right now. But I still made it! It's still Friday in some parts of the globe. (It's Saturday morning in mine.)**_

_**I swear I'm not trying to kill all of you with feels. But just in case... good luck today. LOL.**_

_**And now that I've posted this, I can finally go to sleep while all of you read. Thanks for the reviews!**_

_**sampledbeats, EyeOpener16 and Nae10... Thanks for the PM.**_

* * *

**PART TWO: "Sic Infit"**

_~ So it begins. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Emily struggled to steady her trembling hands as she tried to open the door to her room while fighting back tears. Her vision might still be blurry but she knew that every single person she passed by stared at her with open curiosity because she was drenched from head to toe and to them, she most certainly looked like someone who's on the verge of hysterics. _Well they're probably right_. Emily thought, cursing when she dropped her keys.

For a second Emily was tempted to start pounding on the door until she remembered that no one's inside. Spencer told her before she left for her exam that her friend was going to have dinner with Connor, their former-schoolmate-turned-Spencer's-college-boyfrie nd. And while Emily wished that her friend could open the door for her because she was impatient to get inside, she felt relieved with the knowledge that she has the place to herself even if it's just for a few hours. With renewed determination, Emily grabbed her keys from the floor and tried searching for the right key to her room, getting annoyed that they all seemed to look the same. She was close to losing it when the door suddenly swung open and she found herself staring into her friend's amused then worried eyes.

"What the hell?!" Spencer exclaimed, stepping aside to let the girl in. "Did you run all the way from the McNeil building?" She asked once she closed the door behind her friend. "Why didn't you wait for the rain to let up?"

Emily realized that she was really counting on getting the room to herself. She wanted to collapse and breakdown in the comfort of her bed once she got inside but she can't do that now because Spencer would undoubtedly ask why she's crying and she didn't want to say those three words out loud. _I kissed Paige_. Emily bit back a sob and looked around the room for her bath towel, trying to hide her tearstained cheeks from her friend. Good thing she was soaked to the skin that her tears mixed with the rainwater on her face.

"Em. Hey. Did you hear me? Are you okay?" Spencer asked when she noticed how distressed her friend seemed to be. She reached for Emily's bath towel which was hanging on the back of the chair right in front of the girl and handed it to her friend.

"Thanks." Emily said without meeting her friend's eyes. She used the towel to wipe the tears and water off her face, hoping she could carry a conversation with her friend without her voice giving away her current emotional state. "Yeah. I'm okay. I just couldn't wait to get home so I ran all the way back. I thought you said you were going to have dinner with Connor tonight?" She asked, changing the subject as she busied herself with grabbing a change of clothes.

"Yeah. I just came back to grab some stuff. I'm sleeping over at his apartment." Spencer replied while studying her friend closely. "But I can cancel on him if you want company."

Emily shook her head. "It's fine. I'll probably just crash after I take a shower anyway. You should go." She urged, taking off her jacket and removing its contents before putting it in the hamper. "I'm fine." She insisted when she felt her friend's eyes on her. Emily forced herself to meet Spencer's eyes and gave the girl a smile. "Go be with Connor. I want details in the morning." She managed to say teasingly.

"Okay. I guess I'll just see you tomorrow then." Spencer said, grabbing her overnight bag on top of her bed before heading out, locking the door behind her as she did so.

Emily stood in the empty room, the smile on her lips disappearing. She stared at her phone on the study table and felt her heart lurch when it started vibrating and she saw Paige's face on the display screen. She kept her eyes on the girl's smile for a few seconds before looking away, heading for the bathroom when she felt her throat constrict. Once she was inside the small space, Emily found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror in front of her and when her eyes drifted to the locket, she felt her knees buckle, sending her crashing on the floor in a heap. Emily tried shutting everything out but it was no use. The memory of what just happened came rushing back to her so vividly that she couldn't breathe.

"Jai." Emily whispered brokenly, her hand gripping the locket on her necklace. "I'm so sorry."

Emily slowly drew her knees to her chest and rested her forehead on top of it, weeping as the memory of Paige's soft lips moving urgently against hers played in her head over... and over... and over again.

* * *

"This is Emily. Sorry but I can't answer your call right now. Feel free to leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can." Paige sighed and ended the call again. She's been trying to call Emily ever since the girl ran away from her but Emily won't answer her calls. _What did you expect anyway?_ She thought wryly.

Paige inserted the key to her apartment door and stepped inside the dark room, turning on the dim hallway light before heading for her bedroom. She was cold, confused and elated all at the same time. Never in her life has a first kiss made her feel this way. And her drenched clothes were starting to cling to her body so she was uncomfortable on top of it all. Paige deposited her keys and cellphone on the bureau and took off her leather jacket and her soggy sneakers and socks before grabbing her bath towel and heading for the bathroom, stopping in her tracks when her gaze landed on her phone again.

It was a miracle, really. That her phone's still in perfect working condition despite being drenched under the rain with her. Paige grabbed it before she changed her mind and dialed Emily's number. _Might as well leave her a message_.

"Em." Paige began when she heard the beep. "Hey. Are you okay? Did you get home safe?" She asked, fidgeting with the hem of her top. "Please call me. Or text me. I just want to make sure you're safe." She continued. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "Em... we need to talk about what happened. Please." Paige said before ending the call and returning her phone on the bureau.

_I guess that kiss just answered my question as to why she's been avoiding me all day._ But now comes the confusing part for her. Because while Paige enjoyed it tremendously, the mind-blowing kiss raised more questions for her._ Like why did Emily kiss me tonight? Not that I'm complaining. But yeah. It wouldn't hurt to know the reason why. Was it a spur of the moment thing? Or has Emily been feeling something for me lately?_ She stared at her phone, willing it to ring or alert her of an incoming message from Emily. But her phone stayed silent.

Paige sighed and reluctantly made her way to the bathroom, hanging her bath towel on the stainless steel towel holder before starting to undress, relieved to be able to finally get out of her wet clothes. She stepped underneath the showerhead and turned the knob, basking in the warmth of the water while she stood unmoving. The feel of the water against her skin, though warm, reminded her of what just happened and a smile tore across her lips. _Emily Fields just kissed me. And I kissed her back_.

* * *

Two hours later, Emily is in her cotton pajamas and loose shirt, fresh from taking a shower but her eyes were puffy and red for crying the entire time she was doing so. She was relieved that Spencer didn't change her mind and the girl wasn't in the room when she got out of the bathroom. She didn't want her friend to start asking questions she can't answer.

Emily deposited her wet clothes in the hamper and made a mental note to wash them tomorrow morning before turning off the lights and heading to her bed to try and get some sleep. She grabbed her phone from her study table and saw that there were several missed calls and text messages from Paige, all of them asking if she's okay and if they could talk about what happened. She deleted all of the messages as she sat on the edge of her bed before placing her phone on the bedside table, her gaze drifting to the photo of her and Jai. She looked away, ashamed. Pulling the bed covers, Emily tucked herself in and closed her eyes but her mind won't rest.

She stared at the ceiling, starting to grow restless and she began tossing and turning in her bed, trying to erase from her mind what just happened. She closed her eyes again but opened them abruptly when she saw Paige's face and found herself staring at the photo on her bedside table again. She didn't know what to think. What came over her. Why she liked it so much. Kissing Paige. If Jai didn't cross her mind at that moment she would've let that kiss go on. She _wanted_ it to go on. She swallowed hard, trying to control the pounding of her heart and she turned her back on the photo, ashamed of what was going through her mind right now.

Emily thought she was doing a good job of fighting her feelings for Paige. But tonight there was something about the girl that she found irresistible and when her lips grazed Paige's, she knew she wanted more than just a brief, accidental contact. She wanted to feel Paige's lips moving against hers. So she kissed her. And when Paige kissed her back her brain immediately shut down and it made her feel lightheaded and reeling from the sensation. The kiss was mind-blowingly good. Jai never kissed her that way because her girlfriend always held back.

Paige's kiss was different. With just a kiss she felt how much Paige wanted her. The instant the girl kissed her back she felt just how much Paige wanted her and it made her scared but inexplicably giddy that someone could want her so much. That _Paige_ wanted her so much. Paige's kiss couldn't hide the desire the girl felt for her. Emily brought her fingers to her mouth and traced her lips, her heart hammering at the memory of Paige pulling her closer to deepen the kiss. She closed her eyes, distressed.

_I want to kiss her again_.

* * *

"This is our year, people!" Paige barely paid attention to the speech Reese was giving at the front of the bus as she watched the passing scenery from the window absentmindedly. They were on their way to State College for the NCAA Regional Championships and she knew she had to pay attention to what her team captain was saying but she couldn't focus. Not when Emily still hasn't returned any of her phone calls and never replied to any of her messages.

Paige sighed and averted her gaze from the window, taking out one of her hands from inside the pockets of the blue UPenn sweatshirt Emily gave her to check her phone for the umpteenth time. She had been doing this every five minutes or so, even if her phone is on vibrate and she was holding on to it. When she saw that there were still no messages, she reluctantly returned to staring outside the window, not bothering to return her phone inside the pocket. She really wanted to talk to the girl.

Last night after her shower, Paige tried going to sleep knowing she has an early day today but she ended up tossing and turning in her bed, reliving every second of her first kiss with Emily. From the moment the girl's lips accidentally brushed hers up until the girl pulled away from her. Her mind chose not to register the words Emily said. _This didn't happen_. She couldn't just accept that. She refused to.

That's why she was late getting to Franklin Field this morning. If it hadn't been for Reese's phone call, she would've missed the championship today and she wouldn't hear the end of it from the girl and Coach Steve, and her teammates will probably loathe her for as long as she lived. Paige thought being the last person to arrive at the meeting place was enough to serve as a wakeup call and get her to focus on the competition instead of Emily but once she boarded the bus, her thoughts drifted to the girl once more.

Against her better judgment, Paige dialed Emily's number again despite knowing that her call would go straight to voicemail. She knew that Emily didn't want to talk to her but she was more stubborn than she cared to admit.

"Hey. It's me... again." Paige began when she heard the beep. "I know you're probably annoyed by now. But can we please talk? I'm headed back to UPenn this afternoon. I know you're not going home this weekend 'cos you have that swim meet tomorrow morning. So please? Call me back or text me." She begged before ending the call and staring at the display screen dejectedly.

"So what did you think?" Reese asked as she went back to her seat beside Paige, looking at the girl expectantly.

"What did I think..." Paige repeated, buying herself some time while she racked her brain, trying to remember anything about Reese's speech but she came up empty. She was earning her second strike against the girl and they haven't even reached their destination. With her luck, Reese would rally the entire team to make her run the rest of the way if she didn't come up with something. "You mean about your speech?" She asked, pretending to be confused.

Reese nodded. "Yeah. About my speech. I was kinda nervous saying things like patriotism, nationalism, world peace. But I think everyone got my message. I really think I got my point across. They're all onboard with it. Especially the part where I said that we are all heroes in the making." She said eagerly.

"Um... yeah. I definitely liked hearing those things. They were inspiring." Paige lied, choosing to agree to all the things the girl said just now even if they didn't make any sense. _Wrong move_.

"That's it. Hand it over." Reese commanded, extending a hand towards Paige. "Hand your phone over. I'm confiscating it. You'll get it back after the meet." She explained, gesturing for Paige to give her what she's asking for.

Paige moved the phone away from Reese. "What? Why?" She asked, her hand instinctively gripping the object tighter like she was holding on for dear life.

"Newbie, do you _seriously_ think that I'm the kind of person who makes speeches about world peace?!" Reese asked incredulously. "I was testing you to see if you heard any of the things I said. Guess what? You failed. Give me that phone." She repeated.

"No." Paige replied, shaking her head vehemently.

"Paige, you need to focus on the meet. Not Emily." Reese reminded the girl sternly.

"I _am_ focused." Paige insisted.

Reese gave the girl a disbelieving look. "You're checking your phone every five minutes and making calls. Don't think I haven't noticed." She pointed out. "You're not focused. And I need you focused today. So does the team. This is supposed to be a team effort."

"I know that." Paige said, getting embarrassed for being reprimanded. "I was the captain of our swim team in high school, Reese. I know how much it matters that we function like a well-oiled machine."

"So you know what I'm talking about. You were a leader once. If you were a good leader you must've been a good follower. Now I'm telling you. Hand me that phone." Reese ordered without any trace of amusement in her voice.

"Come on. I'll just keep it in my bag. I promise I won't look at it again until after the meet. Ease up." Paige said, nudging the girl lightly. Reese was always laughing and making weird antics whenever they're together so the girl being this serious was unnerving.

"Paige, I'm not kidding." Reese said, her lips set in a grim line. "On any other day I'm your friend. But right now I'm talking to you as your team captain. I was chosen to be the leader for a reason and I take my responsibility to this team seriously. Now hand me that phone." She repeated, extending her hand further towards the girl.

Paige finally did as she was told and handed her phone to the other girl. "Emily kissed me last night." She confessed, watching Reese slip her phone inside the girl's duffel bag. "Emily kissed me then she ran away." Paige said, looking at her friend helplessly.

Reese nodded. "We'll talk after the meet." She promised, giving Paige a reassuring smile.

* * *

Emily moved the phone away from her ear once she was done listening to all of Paige's voicemails since last night, drawing her knees to her chest as she sat on her bed on a rainy Friday morning. She turned her head to stare at the windows and when she saw the rain pouring outside, she hastily got up and drew the curtains close before going back to bed and running a hand wearily through her hair.

"Whoa. Ease up on the curtains, Catwoman. You mad at the rain or something?" Spencer asked teasingly as she entered their room with two cups of coffee and closed the door behind her. "Here. This might cheer you up."

"Thanks." Emily said as she reached for the cup of coffee and gave her friend a faint smile. She wrapped her hands around the cup, the heat of the beverage warming her cold hands. "I think I owe you dozens of coffee now. How can I repay you?"

Spencer shook her head. "Don't mention it. Although... if you really insist on paying me back you can do so by going with me to the party the Sigma Deltas are throwing Thursday next week." She suggested, looking at her friend from behind the rim of her cup as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Spence..." Emily protested, not exactly in the mood to go to a sorority party.

"Come on. It's part of the whole college experience. We got invited by Amanda." Spencer added, referring to one of their floormates. "And you're the one who asked how you could repay me. I just answered your question."

"Then ask something else. I can get you coffee everyday starting Monday." Emily offered. "I'm just not in a mood to party."

"Em, the party's on Thursday next week. Not tonight. How could you possibly know that you're not going to be in the mood by then?" Spencer asked, amused.

"I just do." Emily insisted.

"Come on. Please? We haven't gone to a party other than that PennFest and that was in August and hardly a party. You said you don't have exams next week. I don't either. So it really is the perfect week for us to go to a party." Spencer explained. "We won't stay for long."

"Why didn't you ask Connor to go with you?" Emily replied. "You spent the night at his place and you didn't tell him about it? You know that guy's crazy about you. He would've said yes." She pointed out. She still couldn't get over the fact that the guy Spencer has been drooling over in high school secretly harbored feelings for her friend for years.

"I _did_ tell him. But I decided I needed a break from his perfect washboard abs. I mean, those babies can still cut through diamonds but guess what? I don't have any lying around." Spencer complained, making Emily smile. "Plus he said his team has a friendly basketball game scheduled that night with some guys from Princeton although I don't see anything friendly about that." She said wryly. "By the time he's done he's going to be too tired to go to the party. But he promised to pick us up though. So come on. I want to go to that party with my oldest friend. Please?"

"Fine." Emily conceded, making Spencer hug her briefly. "My coffee!" She exclaimed, moving the hot beverage away from her friend.

"I'll get you another one. I'll get you as many as you want!" Spencer offered gamely before heading to her side of the room. She sat on the edge of her bed and continued drinking her coffee, her eyes studying Emily thoughtfully from behind the rim of the cup. Just minutes ago her friend seemed to be in a cheery mood. But now Emily was back to being distracted. She glanced at the pile of wet clothes on Emily's hamper and debated whether to ask her friend the question that's bugging her. "Em?"

Emily tore her eyes away from the photo on her bedside table and looked at her friend. "Yeah?" She replied, trying to sound upbeat.

"What really happened to you last night?" Spencer asked softly. "When you got here you looked upset. Did something happen?"

Emily shook her head. She didn't want to tell anyone about the kiss just yet. Especially her friends. "No. Nothing happened. The exam was really hard so I was in a foul mood already. Then when I got out of the building I saw that there was a heavy downpour and just my luck I didn't bring an umbrella..." Emily's lips continued to move as she recounted to Spencer her version of her experience last night, seemingly working in autopilot because her mind was somewhere else. It was back to that moment when she stepped out of the building and saw Paige standing outside.

_What are you doing here?_

_Waiting for you_.

_Come on. I'll walk you home_.

"...I know I could've just waited for the rain to let up. I should've. But most of my classmates were already heading home and I didn't want to be left behind so I decided to brave the weather by myself." Emily lied, swallowing hard when she remembered Paige's hand on her back as they walked, her stomach fluttering when she recalled the moment Paige wrapped her arm around her waist.

_Careful_.

_Here. You stay on this side of the pavement_.

_Watch it_.

"...then once I got to the intersection I couldn't cross it just yet. There were cars passing by so I had to wait until it was safe to cross the street." Emily continued, her pulse beginning to race.

_She let herself be pulled into the kiss, her brain shutting down the second she felt Paige's soft lips move against hers urgently. Paige was kissing her back and she felt herself leaning in for more..._

"...by the time I was able to cross it I was drenched and shivering. That's why when I got here I seemed upset." Emily finally finished, looking away. "But I'm fine now. That shower I took last night and the sleep I just had made me feel better."

"Then why are your cheeks flushed?" Spencer pointed out. "Are you sure you're okay? You might be coming down with a fever." She said worriedly.

"I'm not." Emily reassured her friend as she touched her cheeks self-consciously. "Must be because I'm holding a hot cup of coffee and considering I'm a little cold it warmed me up."

"I guess that explains why you pulled at those curtains earlier like it was your enemy when you saw the rain outside." Spencer said, apparently buying Emily's story as she gave her friend an amused smile. "You were mad at the rain, not the curtains."

Emily nodded. "Precisely." She replied, smiling back at her friend despite the guilt she was feeling for lying.

"Well I should probably take a shower first since my class is in thirty." Spencer said before getting up and throwing the empty cup in the wastebasket on her way to the bathroom.

"I'll just finish my coffee while I wait for you." Emily said in agreement, pointing to the cup she was holding when her friend looked at her.

Emily waited for Spencer to close the bathroom door once she was inside before placing the cup of coffee on her bedside table. Her gaze immediately returned to the photo of her and Jai and her hand instinctively clasped the locket on her necklace as she stared at the object pensively.

* * *

"I'm telling you. Don't do this." Reese said as she followed Paige who was currently walking determinedly towards the direction of the Pottruck Center to go to the Sheerr Pool on a Saturday morning.

"I just want to see her swim. I feel like it's been ages since I last saw her in the pool and it's her first meet as a Quaker." Paige explained, taking the steps two at a time until she reached the entrance to the building.

Reese acted before Paige could get inside, grabbing the girl by the arm and forcing Paige to face her. "_Exactly_. Nothing good will come out of this. You're going to distract her if you show up unannounced." She pointed out.

"She won't know I'm here." Paige promised, shrugging off Reese's hand and turning around to grab the door handle but Reese was too fast for her.

"Paige, come on. Hear me out." Reese implored, stepping beside the girl and placing her hand on the door so Paige couldn't pull it open. "You need to give Emily time."

"I am. Like I said, I won't show myself." Paige repeated. "I just want you to see how amazing she is when she's in her element." She added, the pride evident in her voice.

"Oh I don't have to see that. I believe you in all things Emily." Reese answered wryly.

"Come on. You don't have any plans. Billie cancelled on you." Paige said, releasing her grip on the door handle and following Reese to the side when she noticed that they were blocking the entrance.

"Yes. Thanks for that reminder." Reese shot back, still annoyed that her girlfriend cancelled their plans at the last minute. They were supposed to spend their weekend together but Billie said something about going on a camping trip with her little brother. An activity Reese would gladly go to if it meant spending more time with Brian and her girlfriend but Billie said no, citing it was a 'family activity.'

"Sorry." Paige said sheepishly. "I just brought it up because I wanted to remind you that you're the one who called to ask if I have plans today."

"And by plans I meant doing something exciting so I can tag along." Reese clarified exasperatedly.

"Swim meets are exciting." Paige said with so much conviction that Reese ended up laughing.

"You're just saying that because Emily's there." Reese pointed out wryly. "I don't see the excitement in swimming in a straight line back and forth. But if you add sharks in the pool though... maybe I'll watch." She said, causing Paige to stare at her disbelievingly. "Oh come on. Swimming in shark-infested waters? Now _that's_ exciting. Let's just skip the swim meet and go somewhere fun. Let's go shopping!" She suggested eagerly.

"Shopping? That's your idea of fun? That's not really my thing." Paige admitted, making a face. "And that's hardly exciting. I'd rather watch a swim meet than walk around the mall."

"Okay. How about we have a compromise then? I'll go watch the swim meet with you _if_ you agree to go shopping with me after." Reese suggested. "I need something awesome to wear for that sorority party on Thursday. I need to look hot."

Paige gave the girl a confused look. "You're already hot." She said matter-of-factly, not really seeing the need for Reese to turn it up another notch.

Reese brought her hand to her chest, seemingly touched. "Aww, newbie. Thanks!" She exclaimed, pretending to hold back tears of joy. "That's like, the first actual compliment you gave me since we've known each other. It means a lot."

"Don't get used to it." Paige muttered, rolling her eyes at Reese's acting.

"Do we have a deal or not?" Reese asked, turning serious again. "Your boring swim meet for my fun shopping? Or you can just call Kayla and ask her to come with you."

Paige shook her head. "I don't want to bring Kayla into this. Not until I talk to Emily." She admitted. This was something she needed to figure out with the girl first. "And that swim meet is _not_ boring!"

Reese smiled. "I guess we have a deal then. Okay. Let's go sit through a swim meet with no sharks." She said reluctantly, leading the way inside with an eager Paige not far behind.

"Actually, our swim team in high school was called the Rosewood Sharks. So technically there's a shark in those waters today and her name's Emily." Paige explained, her mood significantly better.

"Whatever." Reese shot back dismissively. "I doubt she's out for blood."

"You'll change your mind once you see her swim." Paige said confidently, excited to see how much Emily has improved since she last saw the girl compete.

* * *

"Will you be joining us?" Emily glanced behind her as she exited the Sheer Pool later that day to see who was talking to her. She smiled when she saw that it was Cesca, one of her teammates and a fellow freshman she's gotten close to. "Some of us are going to celebrate our win against Cornell. Get some lunch." She continued.

Emily shook her head. "I think I'll pass. I want to get some sleep. But thanks for inviting me." She said as she continued making her way towards the exit. She just wanted to go back to her room and lock herself in for the rest of the weekend. Going out meant there was a risk of running into Paige accidentally and she was trying to avoid everything Paige-related right now.

"Okay. Well there's a party tonight at Doobie's." Cesca persisted. "It's a dive bar in Rittenhouse Square and so far everybody's coming." She pointed out as she walked beside Emily, the rest of their teammates not far behind. "Will we see you there?"

"Rittenhouse Square. Is that near Chestnut Street by any chance?" Emily asked anxiously.

"It's a five-minute walk. Why?" Cesca replied, giving Emily a curious look.

"No reason. Um, I'm not sure I can make it to that one either. But I'll try." Emily hurriedly added when she saw the disappointment in the girl's eyes. _Great. Now my teammates probably think I'm a snob for refusing to join them_.

"Come on. You're the reason we won against Cornell today. You should come." Cesca coaxed.

"It was a team effort, Ces." Emily corrected the girl, refusing to take all the credit for their win. "I promise I'll try."

Cesca nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna hold you to that." She said, giving the girl a grin just as they reached the main entrance before pushing the doors open.

Emily followed the rest of her teammates as they headed outside, about to say goodbye when she saw Paige hanging around by the Pottruck Center entrance with Reese. _She told her. She told Reese I kissed her. Why else would Reese stand waiting for me with her?_ She felt humiliated. Emily stayed behind, letting her teammates walk in front of her as she studied the two girls.

Neither of them has seen her yet. With her hands inside the pockets of the blue UPenn sweatshirt she gave her, Paige was leaning casually against the handrail that was in the middle of the steps while Reese stood in front of her. The other girl was making some hand gestures which clearly pertained to swimming since Reese was in the middle of doing a butterfly stroke before pretending to drown, her antics making the corners of Paige's mouth curl up into a smile, like always. Emily knew they weren't just standing there waiting for her. They were just inside. _Paige must've convinced Reese to come watch the meet with her after she boasted to the girl that I made the first move and that I was all over her_. This is what she was afraid of. Now Paige couldn't wait to show Reese how much the girl could make her flustered. Well Emily isn't going to let that happen.

"You know what? I think I'll go have lunch with you guys." Emily said, grabbing Cesca by the arm to catch the girl's attention.

"Great! Let's go." Cesca replied before linking one arm around Emily's so they could walk side by side. "Hey ladies! Our star swimmer just agreed to have lunch with us!" She announced to the rest of her teammates, inadvertently catching the attention of Paige and Reese.

Emily turned her head away from the two girls when she saw them look towards their group. Paige knew she was there and the girl was waiting to catch a glimpse of her. As she descended the steps and passed by Paige and Reese, she pretended she was engaged in an animated conversation with her teammates, laughing with Cesca even if she had no idea what was so funny. She was aware that Paige's eyes were following her. The girl wanted to talk but she wasn't ready. And she doesn't know if she'll ever be. Once she and her teammates rounded the corner of 37th and Walnut Streets, she knew Paige couldn't see her anymore so she unlinked her arm from Cesca's and hastily took out her phone from inside her duffel bag, searching her phonebook for a certain number before hitting the call button.

"Hey, Kit." Emily said in greeting once her co-worker came on the line. "I know this is kind of sudden but I was wondering if you could trade shifts with me at the café? Turns out I'm going to be really busy in the afternoons so I need to work on a later shift. Yeah. I'm totally fine with the closing hours. This Monday. Okay. Thanks."

Emily ended the call and hurriedly caught up to her teammates before they crossed Sansom Street. Working the late shift at the café meant staying until past one in the morning. Between swim practice and her studies, she knew she was going to have a tough week ahead of her. But if it meant that Paige won't get the chance to corner her then she's willing to lose sleep and make the sacrifice.

* * *

"Come on, Reese. I'll pay for your coffee this time." Paige promised as she pulled the door open and led the way inside Café Prima on Monday afternoon, hoping to see Emily looking gorgeous in that old apron of hers. She headed straight for the loveseat she and Reese always occupied and deposited her duffel bag without sitting down. "I'll even order for us." She offered.

"Well order them to go. We need to get you started on reviewing for that Calculus exam of yours." Reese reminded the girl. "Find Emily and just get it over with."

Paige rolled her eyes before making her way to the counter, looking around the café for any sign of Emily but she didn't see the girl anywhere. She checked the time on her watch. _Maybe she's at the back_. "Hi." She said in greeting, smiling at the barista once she was standing in front of the counter. She glanced at the nameplate. "Kit." She continued.

Kit looked up from the magazine she was browsing and smiled at Paige apologetically. "Hi. I'm sorry. I'll be with you soon." She said, closing the magazine and putting it away.

Paige shook her head. "It's fine. I was actually wondering if Emily's here." She admitted, getting straight to the point. Reese was going to kill her if she wasted more of the girl's time when it came to Emily.

"Em? No. She asked to change shifts with me last weekend. She's not coming in for work until nine." Kit replied. "Can I get you anything?"

"Yeah." Paige said, momentarily forgetting why she was there as her mind tried to process what Kit just told her. "Um... just a bottle of apple juice and a cup of brewed coffee to go." Paige finally managed to say, taking out her wallet to pay for the purchases. "Thanks." She said when the girl handed her the change.

"I'll tell Emily you stopped by if you want. You're her friend. Right? I recognize you. You and Reese are regulars here." Kit said as she looked past Paige and raised a hand in greeting towards the girl seated on the loveseat. "She and I have been floormates since freshman year." She added, returning her attention to Paige. "How did you two meet?"

"Reese? Oh. She almost ran me over with her bike one morning a few months ago. Then later that afternoon turns out she's the captain of the women's track team so she's the boss of me." Paige explained offhandedly.

Kit laughed. "I can see why Reese took a liking to you. You guys sound the same." She pointed out. "So. Any message for Emily you want me to pass along?"

"Uh, no. You don't have to tell her I stopped by. I'll just talk to her when we see each other. I was just surprised she wasn't here." Paige replied, hoping Kit won't bring this up once the girl sees Emily later. She knew that Emily was going to avoid her all the more if the girl found out that she's been asking for her when it was obvious that the girl didn't want to bring other people into it. She grabbed the cup of coffee and her apple juice and made her way back to the loveseat.

"Well?" Reese asked when Paige sat next to her.

"Emily changed shifts." Paige said dejectedly. She ran a hand through her hair and leaned back on the couch. "She won't come in for work until nine." She continued, biting her bottom lip as she stared at Reese uncertainly.

"Oh no way! I know that look, newbie." Reese said accusingly, pointing a finger to the girl's face and making a circling motion to exaggerate her point. "Please tell me you don't plan on sitting here for _five hour_s just to wait for her." She asked, looking at Paige incredulously. When the girl didn't say anything, she turned her body to face Paige. "Newbie. Listen to me. I know it's frustrating. This thing happened between you two. Something you've wanted for years and the fact that she initiated it makes it all the more amazing for you. But that's _for you_." She emphasized. "This is entirely new to her. You can't expect Emily to just jump into a relationship with you especially with your history…"

"My history?" Paige interjected, furrowing her brows in confusion.

"Your history with Emily and dating girls." Reese clarified. "You didn't spend all those years just pining over her, right? You tried dating other girls?" She asked. When Paige nodded, she continued. "Well there you go. The two of you have this complicated history and the fact that you're her girlfriend's best friend doesn't really help matters. There's a lot of baggage to sort through right there."

"I know that. And I'm not expecting us to be a couple right away. I just want to talk." Paige explained, starting to peel the label of her juice in her anxiousness.

Reese sighed. "Yeah. _You_ want to talk. But she's not ready. She's probably freaking out and trying to make sense of things right now. You need to respect that. Don't pressure her." She advised.

"But what if she never wanted to talk? What am I supposed to do then?" Paige asked, looking at Reese with worried eyes.

"You don't know that yet. Give her a few days. Maybe a week. Then try talking to her again. Just not today." Reese said, getting up. She looked down at Paige when the girl refused to stand up as well. "You know there's a reason she changed shifts. She expects you to take the hint. Come on. Let's go to my room so you can ace that Calculus exam of yours tomorrow. Then help me pick an outfit for that party on Thursday."

Paige finally reluctantly got up and slowly lifted her duffel bag off the floor, her pace making Reese clap her hands three times to urge the girl to move faster.

"Oh my god, newbie. Hustle up! You're making me consider replacing you with a snail next semester. You're supposed to be a freaking runner." Reese cajoled, trying to improve Paige's mood. When that didn't work, she moved to give Paige a brief hug, much to the other girl's surprise. "Let's go. Trust me. She'll talk to you when she's ready."

* * *

Emily emerged from the side entrance of the 1973 wing of the Chemistry Labs on a Wednesday morning, stepping to the side to let other people pass as she fixed the books she was carrying. Her Calculus class isn't until eleven but she wanted to get to Cohen Hall early so she could relax for a bit. She was about to cross 34th Street when she looked up and saw Paige waiting for her near the steps. The sight of the girl was enough to make Emily's palms sweat. She had been trying to avoid Paige since Friday, even taking side entrances and back exits to all of her classes just to make sure Paige won't see her. But the girl apparently figured her out. She purposefully walked towards Paige, her pulse racing but she kept her expression neutral.

"You don't know how to take a hint, do you?" Emily said, not bothering to hide her annoyance as she walked past the girl, trying to put some distance between them.

"I just want to talk." Paige called out after Emily before standing up straight and following the girl.

"And I don't. Hence the whole point of avoiding you." Emily pointed out, quickening her pace as she headed for the intersection, not bothering to look behind her.

"It's been a week. We need to talk about it." Paige said, trying to catch up to the girl.

"Why? What happened was a fluke. A mistake. It won't happen again." Emily insisted as she crossed the street, barely fighting the urge to make a dash for it.

Paige ran after Emily, determined not to let the opportunity pass. "So what? You're just going to avoid me until we graduate?" She asked incredulously. When the girl just kept walking, she quickened her pace so they were finally walking side by side. "Em, come on. Don't say it was a mistake. Hey." She said as she firmly grabbed Emily's arm, forcing the girl to face her. "It wasn't a mistake. Kissing you will _never_ be a mistake. Not when I've been wanting to do that for quite some time." She admitted, forcing the girl to meet her gaze.

"Paige just forget about it." Emily said pleadingly, looking away.

Paige shook her head. "I can't. I don't want to. I tried, Em. But I can't stop thinking about you." She confessed earnestly. "Please. I've liked you for a while now. In a completely non-platonic way. I like you a lot. I think we should see where things go." Paige said, her voice hoarse.

Emily stared at the girl in disbelief. "What?! It was _just_ a kiss, Paige. Don't get ahead of yourself." She reprimanded the girl. Her brain was still trying to process what she did. She couldn't possibly say yes to dating Paige. It just felt wrong on so many levels.

"Why? You can't honestly tell me that you didn't feel anything when I kissed you back. When we were kissing. This isn't one-sided." Paige insisted, releasing her grip on Emily's arm. She was giving the girl the choice to run away or hear what she has to say. "I know you're attracted to me. Just like I am to you. You wouldn't have kissed me like that if you weren't. You don't go around kissing someone like that and then expect them to forget. It was mind-blowing."

Emily's pulse raced at Paige's words. Apparently she wasn't the only one who thought the kiss was amazing. But she still didn't want to talk about it. She sighed as she wearily ran a hand through her hair. "Can we do this some other time? I really need to go. I'm going to be late for my class." She lied. Right now she feels as if she's never going to be ready to talk or figure things out between them. She just wished Paige would get it and not be so stubborn.

"Please just say you'll think about it." Paige asked, unable to hide her feelings.

"Paige... _it's still Jai_." Emily admitted, looking at the girl apologetically.

Paige nodded. "I know. But I can wait. I don't mind waiting." She promised, telling herself not to get her hopes up too soon but she couldn't help it. "We can take things slow. Just say you'll think about it." She repeated.

"Fine. I'll think about it. But I need time." Emily finally confessed. She didn't want to have to keep looking behind her while walking around campus, paranoid that she'd run into the girl. "You need to give me space."

"Okay. I won't bother you again." Paige swore, taking a small step back. "Take all the time you need."

Sure that the girl won't follow her anymore, Emily nodded and walked away from Paige, taking a couple of steps before turning around when she remembered something. "Did you tell Kayla?" She asked anxiously.

Paige shook her head. "No. I know you'd freak out if I did and it's actually none of her business." She explained. "I haven't told anyone."

"Other than Reese." Emily shot back. "Well I was just making sure. After all, it's none of Reese's business too but that didn't exactly stop you from telling her and humiliating me." She said accusingly.

"What? Em, I don't... kiss and tell." Paige insisted. "I just needed someone to talk to. I didn't tell her to humiliate you. Why would I do that?"

"Just... don't tell anyone else okay?" Emily said, frustrated.

"Okay." Paige repeated, her hand making a zipping gesture on her lips before throwing away the non-existent key.

"Thanks." Emily said before finally leaving. _So much for being able to relax before my class. Now I'm going to spend the rest of the day trying not to think of Paige again_.

* * *

Paige gracefully dismounted her bike on Thursday afternoon despite knowing that she was going to be late. Her dad was in the city for a meeting and he called her out of the blue, telling her to go to a certain address. When she got there, she was surprised to see that it was a car dealership. Once her dad stepped out of the building and smiled at her, she immediately knew why she was there. She was finally getting a car. But it wasn't until tomorrow afternoon and she had to come back to pick it up. Paige didn't care though. She was just glad about getting her own car and was pleasantly surprised that she saw her dad on a weekday and because of that she lost track of time. Now she was late for her MGMT100 class. She'd probably end up sitting on the front row since any hope of Emily saving a seat for her vanished when the girl told her yesterday that she needed time.

As Paige crouched to hastily lock her bike on one of the racks beside Huntsman Hall, a movement to her left caught her eye and she was just in time to see Emily disappear inside the building. Apparently the girl was planning to sit in the front row as well. Paige sighed and stood up slowly. Now she's really going to be late. She had to head to her class in a normal pace to make sure that Emily gets there first. Paige ambled to the side entrance and took the stairs one at a time until she reached the third floor, just in time to see Emily enter the room and she increased her pace once she was sure that the girl has gone inside. At least there's still a chance that she won't be late.

"Oof! Sorry." Paige muttered when she entered the lecture hall and bumped into Emily's back. She didn't realize that the girl was still standing near the door.

Emily reluctantly turned around to face Paige. "It's fine. You're just getting here too?" She asked, taking a small step back to put some distance between them. She was busy checking to see if Paige was already inside the room that she didn't consider the possibility that the girl hasn't arrived yet.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. My dad's in town and he surprised me. He just bought me a car." She admitted as she fidgeted with the strap of her messenger bag.

"Oh. Wow." Emily uttered. It was only a week but it felt like she and Paige haven't talked to each other in months. She didn't know what was going on in the girl's life. "So you drove here?"

"No. I rode my bike. I won't get the car until tomorrow afternoon." Paige replied. They stared at each other, not knowing what to say next. "We should probably find seats." She finally suggested, looking past the girl and around the lecture hall. "Do you want to sit in front or at the back?"

"What?" Emily asked, looking behind her to see what Paige was referring to.

"For the lecture. There are few seats left. You can take the front, I can take the back. Or vice versa. You choose." Paige offered.

Emily turned around to face Paige. "I'll take the back." She decided.

Paige could've easily suggested that they sit on the same row since there were seats available at the front and back and Emily appreciated the girl's conscious effort to keep the promise she made yesterday about giving her time. Paige is now giving her space as well.

"Okay. That means I'm sitting in front. My turn to get called for recitation I guess. Wish me luck with Nomad." Paige stage whispered, giving Emily a small smile before walking past the girl and taking a seat next to their favorite guy.

"You get me as your seatmate today, buddy. Remember me?" Emily heard Paige tell the guy flippantly and she bit her bottom lip to hide her smile before heading for the back of the room. _Paige will be okay_. Emily reassured herself. _Looks like she's really fine with waiting_.

When she was aware that Emily wasn't watching her anymore, Paige took a deep breath and wiped the smile off her lips, stressed out. She took out her notebook and a pen from inside her bag once their professor entered the room, steeling herself for an hour and a half of possibly being called several times to give her opinion on the lecture. With her luck, she's going to end up stammering and struggling to give a coherent answer, sure that her mind will be on Emily for the rest of the day.

* * *

That night, Emily entered the Sigma Deltas' sorority house on Walnut Street, fixing her purple asymmetrical top while trying to keep up with Spencer. She navigated her way around the crowd of partygoers as they moved in time to the music blasting on the speakers, using her slow progress across the room to take in her surroundings. _So this is what a college party feels like_.

"Ladies. I'm so glad you made it." Emily and Spencer turned around and found themselves standing face-to-face with their floormate. "Pretty huge turnout, right?" Amanda said, gesturing to the crowd.

"Yeah. I can't hear myself think." Emily managed to say above the noise. This party is just what she needed to forget Paige for one night. "Thanks for inviting us."

"No problem. Drinks are at the back. Enjoy." Amanda said before being whisked away by a tall guy sporting a crew cut.

"I guess we're on our own then!" Spencer shouted when the volume of the music was turned up. She grabbed Emily's hand loosely and led the way inside.

Emily casually scanned the crowd as they headed deeper into the jam-packed room, aware that her friend was making a beeline for the drinks table. Her heart began to hammer when her gaze landed on a certain girl in the room. She felt her stomach flutter but she kept her expression neutral. _It can't be. There are other parties tonight. Why is she here?_

"I need a drink, Em. Come on. Let's head towards the back." Spencer said as she pushed her way between two guys. "Jackpot!" She exclaimed when she finally laid eyes on the table a few steps away with all the liquor sitting on top of it just as Emily noticed that Paige was headed towards it too with Reese in tow.

"Maybe later, Spence. Come on. Let's mingle first." Emily said hurriedly as she tightened her hold on her friend's hand to pull Spencer in the opposite direction.

"But I'm thirsty and I need alcohol to quench it." Spencer protested. Her eyes widened when she saw the girl Emily was trying to avoid. "Oh, hey, there's Paige. I can play nice just this once if it means she can get us drinks." She said as she moved to raise her other hand to call out to the girl.

"Don't!" Emily exclaimed, grabbing Spencer's arm to stop the girl from calling attention to them.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Spencer asked, confused by Emily's suddenly outburst.

"Let's just get drinks later." Emily pleaded, feeling her pulse race faster as she stole a glance at Paige. She was frustrated that the girl made her feel this flustered. She's supposed to be in college but lately she's been acting like she's still in elementary. "Please." She implored, panicking. For some reason she was scared to let Paige know that she was there.

"Fine." Spencer said, giving up trying to figure out her friend's weird behavior tonight and walking past the girl to find a relatively quiet spot in the room where they can hang out.

Emily followed her friend to the other side of the room, trying to look around but found herself looking for Paige again. She willed herself to look away when she finally spotted the girl but she couldn't help but study Paige from afar. Emily was aware that Spencer just struck up a conversation with a guy she recognized from one of her classes. Her friend probably planned to ask the guy to get them some drinks but she was too distracted to focus on them. Because she was focused on someone else entirely.

Paige looked really good tonight. But then again, Emily couldn't recall a time that Paige ever looked bad. The girl could stand in front of her in baggy sweats and a tattered shirt and she'd still think that Paige is stunning. Tonight the girl was sporting a black racerback tank top which clung to her curves and showed off her broad shoulders, flat stomach and smooth skin; her soft, long, brown hair was tucked behind her ears since she wasn't wearing her hair in a ponytail. And when it cascaded when Paige laughed at something Reese said, sending several strands of hair to frame her face, Emily felt her stomach do a somersault. Paige looked so relaxed and she couldn't help but be drawn to the energy the girl seemed to exude tonight.

Emily knew it was for the second time but it felt like the first since back in California she wasn't attracted to the girl. Now she was getting another chance to see how Paige acted when she wasn't around. When her guard wasn't up because Paige didn't know that she was there. And she realized why girls seemed to gravitate towards Paige. The girl was very laid back and laughed with such ease that Emily can't help but wish that she was the one standing next to the girl and not Reese. Maybe if she didn't kiss Paige she'd be the one receiving the girl's gorgeous smile right now and not that junior team captain of hers.

When Reese leaned in close to whisper something in Paige's ear, Emily felt a knot tighten in her stomach. They were standing too close for comfort. She immediately berated herself for letting it bother her. She's not supposed to be jealous. Besides, Paige kept telling her that they're just hanging out. Nothing's going on between them.

A moment later, Paige touched Reese's shoulder before nodding her head towards the direction of the door to indicate that she wanted to leave. Reese nodded and led the way, with Paige placing her hand on the girl's shoulder to follow.

Emily thought the night would end without Paige knowing that she was there but she was startled when she realized that the girl was staring at her from across the room. Emily felt her breath hitch when she realized that Paige knew all along that she was there. And that she had been watching her. Otherwise the girl wouldn't have spotted her so easily in this crowd. Emily felt embarrassed that Paige caught her staring but she didn't look away, instead, she chose to meet Paige's gaze head on.

It was brief but time seemed to stand still and Emily felt like they were the only people in the room, the noise disappearing as she held Paige's gaze. Her heart was racing and her palms were beginning to sweat but she still kept her eyes on the girl. When Paige finally looked away, the noise returned and Emily took a deep, shaky breath, feeling helpless. She couldn't deny it anymore. She was crushing hard on Paige McCullers and she didn't know what to do.

* * *

"Newbie, I think this is the first time I've seen you this silent." Reese observed as she and Paige headed towards Harrison. "You're usually chatty when you're around me."

Paige gave the girl a thin smile. "Just thinking about some things. Sorry I'm such bad company tonight." She added apologetically. "I made you leave that party."

Reese shook her head. "Don't apologize. I've been to these things since I was a freshman. I'm not missing out on anything." She told Paige reassuringly. "Emily was there, wasn't she? That's why you asked to leave so suddenly?"

"How did you know?" Paige asked, looking at the girl as she pulled her leather jacket closer to her body.

Now that they were outside again, Paige remembered why she protested against wearing a racerback top to that party. She knew it was a bad idea but Reese insisted that she wear it so she did. Just to make it up to the girl for being such lousy company lately.

"You need to work on your acting skills." Reese answered, chuckling. "I've been trying to engage you in conversation ever since we stepped inside that house yet the only time you started responding was when you spotted something by the door. Then you started agreeing to everything I said." She pointed out. "I just knew it was Emily because your expression turned from surprise, to happy, to distressed so fast I thought I was in a time warp."

"I'm sorry." Paige said, embarrassed.

"Aww newbie, don't be. You were hilarious." Reese said, giving Paige a playful nudge. "I think at one point I even suggested that we pop a Mentos in our mouth then drink soda just to see if you're actually listening to me."

"What did I say?" Paige asked, cringing.

"You said, '_Yeah. I totally agree_.'" Reese answered, laughing. "I want to see you try doing that one of these days. I mean, you didn't just agree with me. You _totally_ agreed. I just knew you weren't listening at all." She added. "Emily coming to that party caught you off guard tonight, huh?"

Paige nodded. "Yeah. I was really surprised when she showed up. I know it's a sorority party and the chances of her being there are probably big. I just didn't think we'd be in the same party on the same night. The Sigma Deltas aren't the only ones throwing a party right now." She said, proving her point when they passed by another sorority house across the street that was bursting at the seams with people, the music coming from inside reaching them. "When I noticed that she was looking at me I tried playing it cool. I pretended I was having fun. But I couldn't keep the act going for long. I knew one of us had to go. Since she just got there I decided to leave. It's pointless for me to stay anyway. How do I let loose when I have to make a conscious effort to avoid her because she needed space?"

"Well it's not like you were already in the middle of letting loose when she got there so don't dwell on it too much." Reese advised.

"What am I supposed to do?" Paige asked, staring up at the night sky helplessly. "Ever since I told her to take all the time she needed and I promised not to bother her again, we always run into each other. It's like the universe is making it impossible for me to give her space." She complained.

"Paige, you seem to always think that the universe is working against you." Reese began, looking at the girl thoughtfully. "And maybe in the past you had reason to believe that. It's not like I know your life story. But I really think that it's working for you this time around." She said earnestly.

"How so?" Paige asked, looking at Reese.

"Did you ever think that right now the universe is making Emily realize that she can't avoid you?" Reese answered, smiling at Paige. "It's true. You're not avoiding her. You have no problem with running into her at all. But Emily. She's the one who asked for the space. So if you think about it, the universe is working against her. Not you." She explained. "Right now the universe is telling you to be patient. You've waited for Emily for years. You can wait for a few more days. You said it yourself. She's worth it."

"Reese, I never waited for Emily. She was with my best friend." Paige said, glancing at the girl walking next to her. "She was with Jai and their relationship was stable. For two girls in high school they have the most mature relationship I have ever seen. They were serious. Not just about each other but about their entire future. That's why I knew it was going to be forever with them. I didn't wait. I had no reason to."

Reese gave the girl a sad smile. "Liar." She said, her heart going out to the girl. "You've always been waiting for her." She told Paige. "You just didn't realize it until now. Otherwise you would've had a girlfriend instead of dating random girls all these years. You were waiting."

_Will you __**please**__ start calling my girlfriend by her name? It's been more than two years._

_Why should I? Are you guys together for good?_

Paige laughed dryly at the memory of the conversation she had with Jai, making Reese give her a confused look. _Even when I thought I hated her I still wanted to know if they were going to last_. "That doesn't really help with my situation right now." She said before heaving a sigh. "All week I've been distracted. I pretty much failed that Calculus exam last Tuesday. And we came in fifth at regionals. All that training I did seemed to have been for nothing. I choked during the meet. I wasn't at my best." She admitted, ashamed.

"Paige we've been over this. Stop being too hard on yourself. We're a team. Winning that competition doesn't entirely rest on your shoulders." Reese reminded the girl. "Your time wasn't the only contributing factor in our placing. There's still the indoor and outdoor track meets. We'll do better next semester." She said, trying to boost Paige's morale. "Where's my umbrella by the way?" She suddenly asked after they've walked for a few minutes in silence. "I distinctly remember you promising to return it to me last Friday before the competition."

Paige bit her bottom lip. "The wind carried it away." She finally confessed.

Reese stared at Paige quizzically. "How could the wind carry it away? You were holding it." She pointed out.

"Yeahhhhhh... about that." Paige started. "At one point I might've dropped it on purpose when Emily started kissing me." She admitted. "I needed both hands!" She added hurriedly. "Sorry if your umbrella wasn't my priority at that moment. I can't exactly think of anything else. Actually I'm pretty sure I wasn't capable of thinking in those few seconds that I was kissing Emily."

"That must've been one helluva kiss." Reese commented, shaking her head. "Well in any case, you now owe me a new umbrella." She added before placing her arm around Paige's shoulders as they walked the rest of the way to Harrison in comfortable silence.

* * *

Emily slowly opened her eyes on a Friday morning, the sunlight streaming in from outside the windows greeting her. _Seven days without rain_. Someone out there understood how she felt about rainy days lately. Emily knew the clear day was supposed to make her feel better but instead she felt restless and tired. She barely slept last night when they got back from the party, her mind filled with thoughts of Paige and what she's going to do.

Of course there was always the option of being a coward and avoiding the girl for the rest of her college life and maybe even beyond that. But doing so won't solve anything. What happened will only continue to mess with her head and she's losing enough sleep as it is.

Last night seeing Paige at that party made her realize why a part of her felt confused about what happened. Because yeah, she kissed Paige. Something the girl will probably hold over her for as long as she lived. But right now she wasn't thinking about that. So she made the first move and kissed Paige. _But Paige kissed me back_. That was the part that she couldn't stop thinking about. That the girl kissed her back and she felt how much Paige wanted her. _If she was indeed over me why would she kiss me back? And why would she say those things to me?_

Emily sighed. She couldn't take this anymore. Her internal monologue wasn't getting her anywhere. She needed advice that isn't coming from inside her head. She turned her back to the windows and faced her friend who was currently sitting on her bed, reading a book. She could always ask Spencer. But she didn't want her friend to know what she did. She needed to figure things out before telling others what happened. She didn't know what even _this_ is.

"Hey Spence?" Emily began, getting up into a sitting position and biting her bottom lip anxiously.

"Morning sleepyhead." Spencer said in greeting, looking at her friend briefly before returning to the book she was reading.

"I have a question." Emily continued before she chickened out. She was already having second thoughts about asking for her friend's advice but she felt like her brain is about to implode.

"Shoot." Spencer said, closing her book and giving her full attention to Emily.

"I'm just asking 'cos I don't know what to tell my classmate." Emily lied, starting to get nervous now that she has Spencer's attention. They've been friends for years. She didn't know if she could ask for the girl's advice without letting on that it was her who really needed help.

"About?" Spencer asked, urging the girl to go on.

"Well my classmate has this friend who she started hanging out with all the time." Emily began, hoping her voice still sounded normal.

Spencer nodded. "Okay." She said, patiently waiting for her friend to continue.

"They didn't like each other before but something changed and she couldn't figure it out." Emily finally blurted out.

"What happened?" Spence inquired.

"She said she kissed her friend." Emily confessed, forcing to maintain eye contact with the girl. If she looked away she knew Spencer would know something's up.

"And did the friend kiss her back?" Spencer asked, wondering what could possibly be the problem.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. She said the kiss was mind-blowingly good and now she can't stop thinking about it or her friend for that matter." She admitted, wishing her pulse would stop racing. Her voice was going to get hoarse and she's going to get busted any minute now.

"So what's the problem?" Spencer said, confused.

"Well she's wondering what it means." Emily replied, feeling like an idiot now that she's talking to Spencer.

Spencer scoffed. "Is your classmate a child or something? Are _you_ a child or something? You know it means this friend of hers hasn't been just a friend for some time. I mean, did you ask why she initiated the kiss?" She continued, moving forward in her bed.

"Well she didn't exactly initiate it. It wasn't meant to be a kiss on the lips." Emily corrected, a little too hastily. "It landed there but she was actually aiming for the cheek and then before she changed her mind she leaned in and kissed her friend again." She heard herself say, her mind already back to the moment when she changed everything between her and Paige.

"Well sounds to me like your classmate has it bad for her friend." Spencer commented, deciding to go back to reading her book when she realized the problem wasn't a problem at all.

Emily groaned inwardly. She already knew that. She didn't need her friend to point it out to her because that was the last thing she needed to hear right now. "So what do I do? To help her. I mean." She added hurriedly when Spencer gave her a suspicious look.

Spencer shrugged. "Tell her she needs to talk to her friend to clear the air. It's a no-brainer, really. I mean, if she claimed that it was a mind-blowing kiss the attraction isn't one-sided. Seriously Em, you're off your game. You know that's what she should do. Why do you need me to figure it out?" She asked, looking at her friend quizzically.

"I'm just trying to get other people's opinions." Emily lied. "Liking someone you didn't get along with in the past isn't exactly my forte." She added to quell any suspicions her friend might have right now.

"Yeah. Like you'd ever be in the same situation as your classmate with Jai's best friend." Spencer said, giving out a short laugh. "Well if you really want to know my opinion, tell your classmate that so long as her friend doesn't go by the name _Paige McCullers_ she'll be fine. She should go for it." She said without looking at Emily.

"Right. I will tell her that." Emily replied hoarsely. Even Spencer knew it was a bad idea.

* * *

"I swear that girl is turning me into a slave." Paige complained under her breath as she entered Harrison that afternoon with a steaming cup of coffee in hand.

Paige marched towards the bank of elevators, in a hurry to get to the 16th floor so she could meet Reese. Last night before she and the girl parted ways, Reese casually told her that for every day that passes that Paige didn't replace her umbrella, she had to do her bidding. Of course she protested. She asked Reese to be considerate since she didn't have the time to go to a mall right now and buy a new umbrella for her. And she was almost there. She almost convinced Reese to give her a week but then she made the mistake of mocking the size of the girl's umbrella, blaming the inanimate object for being so light that a wind blew it away. She was tempted to call the girl 'Banshee' when she saw Reese's eyes glimmer in the dark but she didn't want to dig an even deeper hole for herself.

Now she felt like Reese was hazing her to join some secret society where the two of them are the only members. If she disappeared no one would know where to look for her. Paige pressed the up button and felt relieved when the doors swung open. At least she didn't have to wait for the elevator to get to the ground floor. She needed to get this over with since she's headed to the dealership to get her car. Paige stepped inside the empty elevator and pressed the button with the number 16 on it before repeatedly pressing the button that will close the door when she heard a familiar voice from just outside.

"Hold the elevator please." Paige immediately pushed the open button, growing nervous. _The universe is seriously screwing with me. I don't care what Reese said. Emily doesn't care if we kept bumping into each other because __**the universe**__ willed it_. The girl just wanted Paige to give her space and the universe is preventing Paige from doing so.

"I loathe you with a passion." Paige muttered, looking up at the elevator lights and imagining that she was staring at the vast space beyond.

"Oh. Paige." Emily said when she saw the girl standing inside, seemingly glaring at the ceiling. "Um, you go ahead. I'll just catch the next one." She offered, taking a small step back.

"Don't. You seem to be in a hurry." Paige observed, her hand still on the open button as she studied the girl. Emily was carrying a hamper filled with clothes and judging from the smell of detergent and fabric softener, the girl just did her laundry. "Hop in. There's plenty of room. I promise to stay in this corner and you can choose one of the three other corners." She added, nodding her head towards the other side of the elevator.

Emily contemplated accepting Paige's suggestion. She really needed to get back to her room or she'll be late preparing for her seminar tonight. "Okay." She finally replied before stepping inside and choosing the corner opposite Paige's, facing the doors. "Twelfth." She said when she saw Paige's finger hover on the buttons out of the corner of her eye.

Once the elevator doors closed, the space was filled with so much tension that the two girls felt like they couldn't breathe. Paige cleared her throat every five seconds and Emily kept her gaze on the LED display just above the buttons, feeling like the elevator was moving at a snail's pace as it showed the number of each floor they passed. _Fifth. Seven more to go_.

"Beats riding in a crowded elevator, right?" Paige finally said, trying to ease the awkward tension as she glanced at Emily.

Emily just nodded; her grip tightening on the hamper like it was some sort of buoy.

"So. Any plans tonight?" Paige continued, attempting to start a friendly conversation with the girl but Emily wasn't a willing participant. She looked away, embarrassed. Emily won't even talk to her anymore.

Emily studied Paige out of the corner of her eye and saw the hurt written all over the girl's face. "Just that seminar." She finally replied, looking away. _Ninth floor. Three more to go_.

"Yeah. The one at the auditorium in the museum. Right." Paige said, smiling faintly. She began playing with the lid of Reese's cup of coffee, racking her brain as to what to say next. _Something that's neutral. The weather? I guess that couldn't hurt_. "Hasn't rained in days. Maybe..."

"Can we please not talk about the rain?" Emily asked exasperatedly, making Paige widen her eyes in surprise.

"Sorry." Paige muttered. "What do you want to talk about then?"

"Nothing. Okay, Paige?" Emily blurted out; getting distressed just being around the girl. "I don't want to talk about anything with you. So stop. I don't want to talk about the rain, about monogamy and certainly not about the kiss." She said, unable to stop her tears from falling. "Please."

"Em. Hey. Don't cry." Paige whispered, stepping forward. "I'm sorry." She muttered, trying to comfort the girl but Emily shook her head vehemently.

"Don't." Emily said, wiping her cheeks gently as she struggled to compose herself. "Just leave me alone." She pleaded as the elevator doors opened to her floor. _Finally_.

Paige's eyes followed the girl as Emily hurriedly made her way down the hall to one of the rooms until the elevator doors closed, obscuring her view. "Monogamy?" She whispered, frowning. "Em... you're not cheating." Paige said to the empty car as it took her to the 16th floor.

* * *

A few hours later, Emily stepped out of the elevator that night, in a hurry to get to her Critical Writing seminar at the museum. After her emotional run-in with Paige earlier, Emily never left her room for the rest of the day, knowing that the girl was in the building spending time with Reese. She thought about taking the fire exit to head downstairs but she was on the twelfth floor and she wasn't looking forward to climbing down stairs when there's a functioning elevator. So she decided to take a chance. So long as the elevator didn't stop on the 16th floor before it got to hers, she knew Paige wasn't inside. She walked past the lobby and was about to exit the main door when she heard her name being called.

"Emily!" Emily looked around behind her and groaned when she saw Reese hurrying up to her. She wasn't in the mood to talk to Paige's 'hangout buddy' considering the girl knew what happened.

"I thought you didn't hear me." Reese said in greeting when she was finally within hearing distance of the girl.

"You need me for something?" Emily asked, trying to keep the impatience out of her voice. "I'm on my way to a mandatory seminar."

"Oh. Okay. Then I have a quick question. Have you gone climbing on a rock wall?" Reese asked, studying Emily's body structure.

"Not really. No." Emily answered, feeling uncomfortable with Reese's gaze.

Reese checked the piece of paper she was holding. "Do you like board games?" She asked next.

Emily shook her head. "What's this about?" She said, trying to look at the piece of paper Reese was holding but the girl moved it away from her. "Seriously?!" She exclaimed. She didn't have time to play Reese's game of 20 questions.

"Are you up for Minute-To-Win It challenges like stacking five apples and stuff?" Reese continued, ignoring Emily's outburst.

"Is this for the college house cup?" Emily finally asked, getting suspicious.

"Oh so you're aware of it. And here I thought you lived in this little bubble of yours with your roommate friend. You two should try participating. Tomorrow's the Quaker Takeover and we're still short of representatives. Come on. Pick one." Reese coaxed.

"Can we do this later? I'm going to be late for my seminar." Emily repeated, glancing at her watch. The museum was too far from Harrison so she needed to commute if she wanted to make it in time.

"Then just pick an activity." Reese insisted stubbornly. "We need to submit the roster now."

"Uh... fine. Put me in the Minute-To-Win It challenges." Emily finally decided. She turned her back to the girl to head out when Reese's comment made her stop in her tracks.

"Wow. That was quick. Now if only you made up your mind this fast about Paige." Reese said, ignoring Emily's scathing glare as she wrote the girl's name on the piece of paper.

"Excuse me? I'm sorry but I really think that's none of your business. I can't believe she told you about what happened in the first place." Emily said, annoyed at Reese's smugness.

"Paige didn't do it out of malice." Reese said when she saw Emily's exasperation. "The girl was confused and I caught her calling and texting you several times on our way to the meet last Friday. I confiscated her phone so she'd focus on the championship and at first she wouldn't give it to me. I think a part of her was hoping that you'd call her back or reply to one of her messages. But I'm the captain of the team and I needed her to focus so I took it. That's when she said that the reason she's been itching to talk to you is because you kissed her. But then you ran away." She explained. "It's not like she rambled on and on about the kiss. Paige isn't that kind of person."

"You've known her what, barely three months? And you say that like you're willing to bet your life on it." Emily said sarcastically. "I've known her for years. She's capable of it."

"You know the side of her she wanted to show you." Reese pointed out. "I don't need to know her for years the way you did. Just knowing she likes you is enough to convince me that she's not going to go around telling people about what happened." She told the girl reassuringly.

Emily scoffed. "You don't know our history. Okay? So stop talking like you do." She demanded, her hands clenching into fists.

"Okay." Reese agreed, raising her arms in surrender. "Look. Emily, I know it's none of my business. And normally I keep my nose out of other people's problems. But don't you think Paige has done enough waiting for you?" She asked gently.

"What? It's just been a week. And she agreed to give me space." Emily revealed though she had a feeling that Reese already knew that.

_I forgot who I was talking to_. Reese thought, mentally rolling her eyes in exasperation. "And she did. I also told her to give you time to make sense of things. But you have to know that you can't expect her to wait forever for you to talk to her." She reminded the girl.

"I'm not ready." Emily confessed.

Reese shrugged. "No one is. Not when something like this happens. But if the person matters to you, and I think Paige does, you'll suck it up and find a way to talk. Because the alternative's worse. Newbie gave you the space. But until when are you going to make her wait?" She asked, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"I don't have to listen to this. I have to go." Emily said, refusing to spend another second in front of the girl.

"The tournament's at seven in the morning. Be there on time." Reese called out to the girl before Emily could push the doors open. "And Emily…"

"What?" Emily asked, turning around to face Reese reluctantly.

"In case you finally decide to talk to her. Remind Paige she owes me an umbrella." Reese answered smugly. "Actually. The two of you owe me one."

* * *

"Wow." Kayla repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time as she let her eyes wander on the outside of Paige's brand new gray Lexus RX350F Sport SUV, a bit jealous that the girl now has her own car. "I bet the inside is awesome too. Can I see it?" She asked, looking at Paige eagerly.

Paige nodded and unlocked the doors, gesturing for Kayla to get in on the passenger side before she sat on the driver's seat. She just came from the dealership in Girard to get her car and remembering that Kayla had an after school activity for her Food 101 club, she decided to swing by her former school to give the girl a ride home. Now they were on the parking lot just outside the Upper School building of Girard College where Paige decided to park her car.

"This is gorgeous. Your dad pulled out all the stops on this one. No wonder he didn't give you a car until now. He was saving up for this." Kayla said as she studied the front of the car, her hand touching the dashboard gently.

Unlike most SUVs, the gear shift wasn't in the middle of the passenger and driver's seats. Instead, a series of buttons were on the middle of the two seats and the gear shift was placed just below the media player and the air controls. Kayla studied the buttons, wondering what they're for.

"I guess." Paige said as she studied the interior as well. "It's a five-seater and the front seats have heating and ventilation. And they have cushion extenders so long drives won't be that uncomfortable." She explained, pointing to the buttons near the driver's seat when she saw Kayla studying them. She managed to familiarize herself a bit with the interior of her car. Tomorrow she's going to have the rest of the day to study it.

"I _have_ to ride shotgun here!" Kayla exclaimed. "Can we cruise around the gayborhood before we head home? Please?" She asked, looking at Paige eagerly.

"Why?" Paige asked, her eyes narrowing as she gave the girl a suspicious look.

"Just because. Come on. Please?" Kayla repeated.

"Okay." Paige finally agreed, making Kayla grin. "But we're just cruising. No stopovers. It's a Friday and I think I know the real reason why you want me to drive by there. I'm not going to a club." Paige insisted. "Kayla." She asked when the girl kept silent.

"Fine. Maybe next time then." Kayla replied reluctantly.

"So what time's your cooking show going to end?" Paige asked, checking the time on her watch.

"Not until two more hours. We're just taking a break from filming." Kayla answered as she alighted from the vehicle, knowing that she should probably be heading back inside by now.

"Two hours?!" Paige repeated incredulously. "Are you kidding me?! I could've just watched a movie or something. You should've told me that when I called you." She reprimanded the girl as she locked the doors.

"I didn't know they wanted to film the episodes for the whole week. It's not like I asked for this. I get tired of cooking too you know?" Kayla said as Paige walked over to her.

"Well I can't just sit here for two hours doing nothing. I have to go somewhere." Paige said, looking around the almost vacant parking lot. "I think I'm going to go grab some dinner outside." She finally decided as she returned her attention to Kayla.

"What? Don't leave." Kayla said, grabbing Paige's wrist. "Come on. Stay. You can eat some of the food I cooked for the show. I promise they're perfectly healthy."

"Okay." Paige finally decided. At least her dinner tonight was free. She followed Kayla inside the school building, a sense of melancholy overwhelming her. "I kinda miss this place." She admitted as they walked down the halls.

Kayla glanced at Paige. "Just the place or...?"

"Just the place." Paige repeated, giving Kayla a look that told the girl to shut up. "Nothing else."

"It's probably because you're thinking of another girl now." Kayla continued teasingly, ignoring Paige's glare. "So. Still no progress on the Emily front?"

Paige looked away, pretending to be fascinated by the trophies. "Nope. Not like I was trying to make a move. So yeah. No progress. I think things between us are going to be in limbo for quite a while." She added, remembering Emily's distress earlier.

She was distracted when they passed by the gardens and she saw the heavy downpour. _The hell?! We were just outside!_ Paige thought, staring at the rain in disbelief. She forgot that the walls of Girard College were so thick that one wouldn't know what time of day it is unless there's a clock and that most of the time they didn't know the weather outside. Paige checked the time on her watch and cursed. _8:45. Not enough time to make it back._ But she had to try. Just in case.

"What?" Kayla asked, surprised by Paige's sudden outburst.

"I need to go." Paige answered, heading back the way they came without any other explanation.

"What? But I thought we're going to hang out tonight? You said I could get a ride in your new car." Kayla called out after the girl, her voice echoing in the empty hallway.

"I know. But can we do that some other time? I really need to go somewhere." Paige explained vaguely without looking at Kayla.

"Where?" Kayla asked, following Paige.

"Just... somewhere." Paige said dismissively, checking the time on her watch again.

"You're ditching me? But how am I supposed to go home in this weather?!" Kayla exclaimed, stopping in her tracks and pointing to one of the glass doors and to the heavy rain outside.

"Maybe it'll be over by the time you're done. And I'll come back!" Paige promised, raising her voice so Kayla could hear her. She gave the girl a wave without looking behind her before she exited the building.

Paige made a dash for her car, unlocking the doors when she was near enough and hurriedly got in. She looked behind the driver's seat and grabbed the white bath towel she got earlier from Reese, wiping the water droplets on her arms before pressing the start button of her car. Good thing the girl returned it to her earlier and Reese was awesome enough to wash it. Apparently she left her towel behind in the locker room after the meet in State College because she was so distracted by thoughts of Emily and Reese just got around to washing it this morning. That's why Reese told her to drop by. With a steaming cup of coffee as payment.

_Hardly rained in days. I think I jinxed the weather_. Paige thought as she buckled her seatbelt. "I _really_ loathe you with a passion." She said to the universe, glaring at the rain outside that was rhythmically falling on her windshield as she shifted the car into drive to head back to UPenn.

* * *

The second Emily stepped out of the auditorium, she knew that her day just got worse. The chatter of the students coming out of the room with her was drowned out by the sound of the rain outside. And considering they were inside a museum, she just knew that it was a heavy downpour. _Great. Just what I need. A rainstorm_. Emily thought as her eyes scanned the crowded hallway, her thoughts involuntarily drifting to a certain brown-haired girl. _Stop it. She's not here_.

Emily didn't know what to do with that knowledge. She half expected to see Paige standing outside the auditorium with an umbrella and a gorgeous smile on her lips, offering to walk her home again. But she made it clear that she needed space so Paige kept her distance. And after she begged the girl to leave her alone earlier today, she doubted Paige is going to be here. Emily took a deep breath, trying to decide what to do. She could just wait until the downpour stops which, for all she knew, could be in a few minutes or tomorrow, or she can walk in the rain, risking getting sick. She was tempted to wait until the rain stopped, maybe even ask Spencer to come get her. But sitting around waiting would make her mind idle and she knew where her thoughts would drift. _I'm walking home_. Emily decided.

As she exited the museum and began to make her way slowly towards Harrison, she found herself thinking more and more about Paige. She remembered the way she felt when Paige touched the small of her back to guide her away from an open drainage as she side stepped to avoid a similar-looking one. Emily felt her pulse race when she remembered Paige grabbing her firmly by the waist, pulling Emily closer to her to avoid a puddle and she choked back a sob. She didn't realize she was crying until she felt the warm tears on her cheeks. It was a welcome change from the cold rain that was drenching her. Thank god it was raining. She can cry without anyone noticing. Emily gently wiped the tears from her eyes.

_Why wasn't she outside waiting for me like she always does? It's raining. She should've been there to pick me up_. Emily thought, furious at herself for expecting Paige to be right outside her class. Angry at Paige because she wasn't outside. Disappointed that she didn't see Paige waiting for her. _Why? You're the one who asked for space_. She reminded herself. _Paige is giving it to you so why are you so upset?_

..._I can't stop thinking about you. You can't honestly tell me you didn't feel anything. This isn't one-sided. You don't kiss someone like that and expect them to forget. It was mind-blowing..._

Emily crossed her arms in front of her chest, trying to comfort herself as she wept. She _did_ feel something. And it terrified her. It terrified her how much Paige affected her. She can't feel this way about someone who made her life difficult in high school. Someone who also happens to be her dead girlfriend's best friend. But at the same time, she can't help but be drawn to Paige.

_What am I going to do?_ Emily was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't pay attention to the vehicle that suddenly began moving next to her on the road. She only noticed it when the driver rolled down the window and called out to her. The second Emily heard Paige's voice her heart leapt but she didn't dare look at the girl…

* * *

"Hey!" Paige called out to the girl walking briskly under the rain. When Emily didn't seem to hear her over the sound of the downpour, Paige tried again, raising her voice this time. "Em!"

When the girl began walking faster, Paige knew Emily heard her but for some reason the girl was pretending she didn't.

"What are you doing?! Why didn't you wait for me?!" Paige asked, accelerating her car for a brief second in order for her to match Emily's stride. "Come on. Get in before you get sick." She pleaded; glancing at the road ahead of her to make sure that it was still deserted.

"I'm fine. I can walk home by myself." Emily finally said, walking faster.

"In this downpour? Come on. Now's not the time to be so hardheaded. Get in." Paige ordered.

"Just go away, Paige. I'm walking home." Emily insisted stubbornly.

"No. You're not. You're going to get sick. Harrison's far from here." Paige reminded the drenched girl.

"What do you care?!" Emily exclaimed, risking a glance at Paige before wiping her eyes.

Paige heard the tears in Emily's voice and she knew that something was wrong. The girl was trying to hide it but Emily was crying. "What? Em, will you please just get in?" She pleaded once again.

"No." Emily said, shaking her head vehemently.

"Then I'll drive beside you until you get in. You're not getting rid of me that easily." Paige stated, refusing to let Emily push her away this time.

Emily finally stopped walking. "Fine." She said, opening the door of Paige's car to get into the passenger seat.

Paige immediately turned on her car's seat warmer before reaching for her towel in the backseat. "Are you okay?" She asked gently as she handed it to the shivering girl.

"Yeah. Sorry I'm drenching your brand new car." Emily said quietly as she tried to dry herself.

Paige shook her head. "It'll dry. You're not fine. You're crying." She said softly.

"No. I'm not." Emily insisted, shaking her head.

"Em, what's wrong?" Paige asked, touching the girl's shoulder. When Emily flinched, she pulled her hand away. "I'm sorry I was late. I just got the car this afternoon and I was at Girard. It took me a while to get here."

"That's not it." Emily replied, her words muffled by the towel she was using to hide her tears from Paige.

"But it's something I did." Paige guessed, studying Emily closely.

"No." Emily answered, looking away.

"Then why are you so upset?" Paige asked.

"I'm not upset!" Emily exclaimed.

"You're crying." Paige pointed out.

"I'm not." Emily argued, finally looking at Paige again.

Paige cradled the girl's cheek tenderly, the gesture making Emily's pulse race. "You can't hide your tears from me, Em. I can tell you're crying. Please just tell me why." She implored.

Emily swallowed hard as she started playing with the hem of the towel, twisting it in her hands. "_I'm really scared_." She whispered, not meeting Paige's eyes.

Paige took the towel from Emily's hands and threw it at the backseat so the girl won't be distracted. "Scared? Of what?" She asked, confused. "Em." Paige coaxed when the girl kept silent.

Emily finally stared into Paige's concerned brown eyes, her eyes traveling to the girl's soft lips and she did the only thing her body told her to. With one quick movement, Emily leaned forward and closed the distance between their bodies, capturing Paige's lips on hers as she kissed the other girl hungrily.

_Why do I feel this way?_ Emily thought as her body leaned forward when Paige opened her mouth to deepen the kiss and she immediately plunged her tongue into Paige's mouth, fully aware that Paige was kissing her back with as much passion. _This isn't right_. She forced herself to stop the kiss but found her arms wrapping around Paige's neck instead, her body defying what her brain was telling her to do.

Paige kissed Emily hungrily, wanting the girl to feel with her every kiss how much she wanted Emily. She didn't care that they were seemingly in the middle of nowhere. She knew the heavy rain hid what they were doing and she gently pushed the girl back towards her side of the car. She broke contact with Emily's lips for a second as she quickly unbuckled her seatbelt, Emily's warm breath against her skin making it seem like forever. When she was almost done, she immediately leaned toward the girl, capturing Emily's lips on hers again. But it wasn't enough.

Emily began pulling Paige towards her, both of them not bothered by the fact that there's little space to move around the front of the car. Paige easily found the button she was looking for in the middle of their seats and Emily felt herself starting to recline, aware of what was about to happen yet her mind was too muddled for her to form a coherent thought. She just knew she didn't mind and gradually, despite being in a cramped space, Paige somehow found herself on the passenger seat of her own car, lying on top of a rain-soaked Emily. She stared at the girl lying underneath her for a moment, studying every inch of the raven-haired beauty. She brought her fingers to touch Emily's lips. The lips she was just kissing seconds ago, and gently grazed it. Emily's lips were warm, soft, inviting. And even if it was dark she could tell the girl was blushing.

"_Emily_." Paige whispered, her eyes drifting towards the girl.

Emily gazed at the girl lying on top of her, seemingly mesmerized as her heart began to race. The way Paige said her name made her knees weak and finally she decided to stop fighting it. Even if it was just for tonight. In this cramped space. She couldn't fight it anymore. She didn't want to. Her intense attraction to the girl was driving her crazy and Paige's fingers grazing her lips was making her skin tingle all over. She reached out to touch Paige's hair, smiling sadly at the girl.

"It's not fair, Paige." Emily whispered. "Why do you have to be so beautiful?" She asked, a tinge of sorrow evident in her voice as a tear fell from her eyes. "Because you are. You're so... _beautiful_. You're so beautiful and I'm so attracted to you. It's frustrating. This isn't right." She admitted helplessly.

"Do you want to stop?" Paige asked hoarsely, hoping Emily says 'no'. She couldn't take it if Emily ran away from her again. Not when she was holding the girl in her arms.

Emily shook her head. "Kiss me again." She pleaded; staring at Paige's lips as she firmly began to pull the girl closer to her. "Just kiss me again."

Paige felt her heart leap for joy at the words Emily just said and she moved to capture Emily's lips on hers, kissing the girl softly, slowly, wanting to commit to memory the way Emily's lips moved against hers. When Emily parted her lips, Paige took it as an invitation to deepen their kiss and she plunged her tongue, meeting Emily's. Tongues dueled as Paige held the girl by the waist, moving her body closer to Emily, elated that she finally got to kiss the girl of her dreams and Emily wasn't pulling away this time. That Emily was asking to be kissed by her.

Slowly, Paige began to trail her kisses on Emily's neck, starting to suck on the girl's pulse point. She briefly looked at Emily, asking if what she was about to do was okay.

Emily just nodded, lightheaded at the thought that she and Paige were completely alone in the girl's car. Unlike their first kiss, even if she knew she could probably get out of there if she wanted to, this time she wanted to stay. She regretted running away the first time. Being held by Paige this close made her giddy. She couldn't think of anywhere else she'd rather be. Being with Paige felt natural. Like they've been alone dozens of times. But this time she wasn't trying to hide her attraction because Paige wasn't pushing her away. She knew Paige would never do anything unless she gave her permission to. Just like now. As Paige began to lightly suck on a spot on her neck, Emily wrapped her arms around Paige's waist, holding the girl closer to her. She'd find a way to hide the marks from Spencer and from everyone else later. Now all she wanted was for Paige to never stop kissing her.

"_You are insanely beautiful_." Paige breathed after she left a mark on Emily's neck, kissing it softly before moving to another spot she knew wouldn't be too hard to cover. "And I'm so attracted to you it's crazy." She whispered breathlessly as she began sucking on the spot. "_I can't stop thinking about you Emily Fields_."

Emily leaned her head to the side to give Paige more access to her neck, her pulse racing at Paige's confession. Just when she thought it was one-sided, Paige admitted that she felt the same way about her and she couldn't help but feel happy that she finally got Paige to see her that way. That Kayla was right and that Paige was just lying. Wanting to feel the girl's lips on hers again, she opened her mouth to speak but she couldn't find the words.

"Paige." Emily begged, not knowing how to ask the girl to kiss her again.

But Paige knew what Emily wanted. Kissing the spot she just left a mark on, she finally returned to kissing Emily on the lips. The windows of her car were starting to fog and she knew they would be in trouble if they got caught. But Mother Nature was on their side. Just when she thought the rain was letting up and she moved to tell Emily that they better put an end to their heated make out session, the rain began to pound harder on the roof of her car. Paige and Emily stopped to look around them, both smiling.

_Thank you, universe_. "That's good, right? The rain?" Paige asked, caressing the side of Emily's face. "It means we can continue this right here?"

Emily nodded. "Mother Nature's telling you to stop talking and just kiss me." Paige opened her mouth to protest but Emily lightly covered it with her hand. "No more talking." Emily commanded, beginning to caress the girl's soft, rosy cheeks with her hand. "I just want to keep kissing you. Can we do that?" She asked, smiling softly.

Paige nodded and gently removed Emily's hand from her mouth, not letting it go as she intertwined their hands and with a smile, brought her lips to Emily's, the horrible weather giving them the perfect excuse to continue what they were doing right there. The rest of the world seemingly disappeared the moment Emily wrapped her arms around Paige's neck and felt the girl's lips move urgently against hers.

As another downpour sheltered them from the outside world, Paige shut everything out. The sound of the rain falling around them faded away and nothing else seemed to matter as she held closer to her the girl she has wanted to kiss the moment she laid eyes on Emily Fields.


	16. sic infit : chapter vi

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

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_**Longest chapter yet! So I'm sorry for the late post again.**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews/comments here and the fan-made video, gif sets, and photo on Tumblr. You're all so awesome and the enthusiasm about this story has been overwhelming.**_

_**EyeOpener16, iowahawx, PamyNovaes, Nae10, TheShawmeister and Harukaskye... Thanks for the PM.**_

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**PART TWO: "Sic Infit"**

_~ So it begins. ~_

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**CHAPTER SIX**

"Kayla, come on. I'm sorry." Paige repeated as she knocked on the girl's apartment door for the tenth time on a Saturday morning. "I know you're awake and you're probably standing on the other side of this door scowling. That's bad. You're going to get wrinkles all over your pretty face at a young age. So come on. Open the door and stop scowling. Please?" She begged, knocking again.

When there was still no response, Paige sighed and leaned against the wall beside the door. Her left arm was starting to get sore from carrying a coffee holder with two coffees and cradling a paper bag with two muffins inside but she can't exactly carry the paper bag because she needed her other hand to knock on Kayla's door. She screwed up big time last night when she forgot to return to Girard for Kayla so she understood why the girl refused to open the door. Kayla was really mad at her. _Unless..._

"Kayla you _did_ get home, right?" Paige called out, knocking on the door frantically this time. "Okay now I'm really worried. Please open the door or say something? Just give me a sign that you're in there or I'm going to call missing persons. I'm serious." She said, knocking again. "Kayla!"

Paige didn't care if she woke up her neighbors at this point. Jai would find a way to rise from the dead if her best friend found out that she forgot to pick up Jai's sister from Girard when she promised that she'd come back for Kayla...

_...because I was busy perfecting the art of first base with Jai's girlfriend all night..._

Paige elicited a groan when that thought occurred to her. _Yeah. Jai is probably halfway digging through her grave right now. She's going to come back then take me with her. _Paige was about to head back to her apartment to make the call when she heard the lock click, followed soon after by the sound of the door being slowly pulled open. She turned around and exhaled in relief when she finally saw Kayla in her pink cotton pajamas.

"Oh thank god." Paige muttered, walking forward and giving the girl a tight one-armed hug before stepping back. "I'm so sorry."

"I waited for you until one in the morning to come back before I finally accepted that you forgot me." Kayla revealed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "When I got here I was seriously tempted to barge inside your room and wake you up but I was too exhausted and sleepy and cold so I went to bed instead."

Paige's eyes widened in panic when she remembered that the girl has a key to her apartment. "You promised to use that key for emergencies only." She reminded Kayla.

"Yeah, well you promised you'd come back for me last night but you didn't. I came close but at least I didn't break mine." Kayla shot back. "I thought I was going to turn into a human popsicle standing outside my school building. You didn't even answer your phone and I called you several times. Where the hell were you?!" She asked, irritated.

"I know. I'm sorry I forgot. I lost track of time." Paige confessed.

"I know you're sorry. You keep saying that but I'm not hearing the reason why you forgot to come back for me. I'm a human being, Paige. Not some object you forgot you were carrying around." Kayla pointed out. "I was okay even if my dad kept ignoring me and pretending that I don't exist. Keeping me at arms' length. Because I know you're still there for me. But last night for the first time I felt like I had no one." She admitted, staring at the ground.

Paige ran a hand through her hair, guilty that she left Kayla alone and now she was going to have to lie to the girl. "I'm _really_ sorry. I just got caught up doing something. It won't happen again." She promised.

"What was so important that you bolted out of Girard?" Kayla asked, refusing to forgive Paige until she was satisfied with the reason.

"I had to go back to UPenn for Reese." Paige lied.

"Why would you come back for Reese?" Kayla asked, confused.

"I'm her slave for the week." Paige explained. "I borrowed something from her recently and I lost it. And until I can replace it I'm at her beck and call." She continued. "There's this 5K run on Tuesday and our team has been busy preparing for it. It's an annual activity that we hold with the men's track team and the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and I'm supposed to help Reese with the details of the event. Like making the rounds on campus last night to put up last minute flyers and teasers but I forgot. When I saw the rain outside I remembered that I promised her I was going to drive her around campus that's why I bolted. I'm so sorry." _At least some parts of that story were true…_

Kayla frowned. "You forgot about Reese too? Paige..."

Paige shook her head adamantly. "I'm okay." She promised, realizing that now she made Kayla worry about _her_ instead because of her lie. "I just have a lot of things on my mind right now that's why I forgot. Here." She said, handing Kayla one of the two coffees before taking out a chocolate chip muffin from inside the paper bag she was cradling on her arm. "I know it's not enough of an apology but it's a start. I'll make it up to you." She added, handing the muffin to the girl.

"So I can ask you for anything?" Kayla began, looking at the girl with gleaming blue-grey eyes as she took the muffin.

"Um..." Paige uttered knowing she was going to regret this. "Yeah..."

"Good. 'Cos I wanna go to a club next Saturday." Kayla continued casually, waiting for Paige to protest but the girl was serious about making it up to her.

"Okay. Let's go to a club." Paige agreed reluctantly, making Kayla's eyes widen in surprise and eagerness. "But don't get drunk. I don't want you puking in my car." She said firmly.

"No drinking." Kayla promised, already in a better mood.

"Now I need to ask for a favor." Paige said, suddenly changing the subject. "Do you happen to have a concealer lying around?"

"Why?" Kayla replied, studying Paige's appearance. "What do you need to hide?"

"It's just a bruise on my thigh." Paige lied, thankful that she was in her black Capri compression pants. "I'm going running again this afternoon with the rest of my teammates and I have to wear my track shorts. I'm not exactly comfortable with the bruise being in plain sight."

"How did you get the bruise?" Kayla asked suspiciously.

"Accidentally bumped my thigh on the coffee table a few nights ago. It's almost healed now but it's still visible." Paige explained, amazed by how quick her mind came up with lies. "So can I borrow a concealer?"

"Okay. Wait here." Kayla instructed before heading inside.

Left alone, Paige began bouncing on the balls of her feet, eager to return to her apartment. She risked a glance across the hall at the closed door, turning around when she heard Kayla's footsteps. She struggled to seem relaxed when the girl came into view with just the cup of coffee in her hand and smiled once Kayla handed the tube of makeup to her.

"Thanks. I'll just buy you a new one." Paige promised as she pocketed the concealer, adding it to the red umbrella she planned on buying for Reese at the mall tomorrow. She turned around to leave when Kayla spoke up.

"Since when do you drink coffee?" Kayla asked, eyeing the other coffee Paige was still holding.

Paige slowly turned around to face the girl, ready with a new lie. "This?" She said, pointing to the steaming beverage. "It's not for me. It's for my dad." She explained, nodding her head slightly towards the direction of her apartment.

"Wow. He's early. Usually he visits you on Sundays." Kayla pointed out.

"I know. But I think he's just eager to check out the car with me." Paige lied, hoping tomorrow when her dad _does_ visit Kayla won't see him.

"Well say hi and good morning to him for me." Kayla said before she took a sip of the coffee Paige gave her.

"Will do." Paige promised, waving a hand at Kayla before the girl closed the door behind her.

Paige sighed when she was finally alone and rubbed her temple wearily as she headed for her apartment, stressed out with all the lies she just told.

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Emily slowly opened her eyes and for a moment, felt confused. Getting up into a sitting position, she looked around her and frowned. _This isn't my room. That's for sure_. She thought as she studied the wide space that was supposed to be a bedroom, and looked at the bed she just slept on. _Not my bed either_. She added when she noticed how her bed and probably Spencer's can fit on it. She looked down and stared at the loose, gray UPenn track and field t-shirt she was wearing before resting her nose on her arm, inhaling the scent of the shirt sleeve. The smell of citrus made her smile and her pulse began to race. She knew where she was.

After a couple of hours of making out in Paige's car, the rain finally let up and reluctantly, Paige returned to her side of the car and said that she was taking the girl back to Harrison. Emily just nodded, unable to find her voice, her lips swollen from all the kissing they just did but for some reason it wasn't enough. They had been kissing for a couple of hours but it wasn't enough.

When Emily's eyes fell on the dashboard clock of Paige's car, she groaned. And when Paige asked what was wrong, she pointed to the time and Paige's eyes widened in surprise. It was already past midnight. They weren't making out for just an hour or two. They've been making out for four.

Paige profusely apologized and suggested that Emily sleep at her place since the museum is nearer to her apartment, hurriedly adding that Emily can take her bed and she will sleep on the couch. Emily agreed, her heart pounding all the while but she knew she had no other choice. She didn't want to wake up Spencer when she comes back and she knew she will do just that since she had to take a shower once she got out of her wet clothes.

Once they got to Paige's apartment, Emily stood just outside of the girl's bedroom while Paige hurriedly sifted through her clothes in the dresser, looking for a clean shirt and sweatpants and offered it to Emily, pointing her towards the direction of the bathroom. After a quick shower, Emily timidly went to the living room and found Paige with a makeshift bed for herself. She offered to take the couch or sleep on the floor in the bedroom but Paige insisted that she sleep on her bed. Emily finally agreed and told Paige she was turning in. Paige nodded, bid her goodnight and said they'll talk in the morning.

Now, Emily dreaded facing Paige and having the conversation because she didn't know what to tell the girl. What happened between them last night in that cramped space was intense... torrid. She knew that. And as she got up to study her reflection in the full length mirror, she saw just how intense it got as she touched the various love bites Paige left on her neck, counting the marks to three, _no four_, she thought when she lifted her hair to the side and saw another mark on her collarbone. She headed back to Paige's bed and sat on the middle of it, biting her bottom lip anxiously.

Emily didn't mind the love bites. They weren't that big so she could easily hide them with a concealer and a turtleneck or a scarf since it was cold out. What she couldn't hide was her intense, undeniable attraction to Paige McCullers. Something was happening between them but she wasn't ready to define it. She wasn't ready for anyone to ask her about it. She wasn't ready to let go of Jai and she doesn't know if she ever will.

She didn't know what to do. Being with Paige made her feel giddy and breathless but she didn't want to hurt the girl when she tells Paige that she's not ready to start something and commit to it. Although Paige isn't someone who commits anyway so really there's no other choice but to...

A sharp knock on the door made Emily look up abruptly. _Time to have the talk_. She thought, her pulse beginning to race.

"Em? You awake?" Paige asked from behind the door.

"Yeah." Emily replied, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

"Are you decent?" Paige continued.

Emily looked down and fixed the shirt she was wearing, grabbing the comforter and pulling it over her legs even though she was wearing sweatpants before running a hand through her hair several times to comb it. "Yeah." She finally answered.

"You sure? I'm coming in, okay?" Paige called out.

"Okay." Emily repeated, her heart starting to hammer as she anticipated seeing Paige enter the room.

"Hey." Paige said in greeting, giving the girl a dazzling smile once she stepped inside her own room.

"Hey." Emily replied, smiling herself. Paige was in her usual running attire but the girl didn't look like she went for a run. Which was a good thing considering she was already having a hard time trying to fight her attraction to the girl.

"I was planning to go for a run but changed my mind at the last minute. I didn't want you to wake up and find me gone. I bought you breakfast instead." Paige explained when she saw Emily looking at her outfit. She moved a little closer to her bed and handed Emily the cup of coffee and the blueberry muffin in the paper bag. "The guy at the café I bought this from said their blueberry muffin was the best so I decided to try it."

"Thanks." Emily said, extending her hand towards Paige to take the food from the girl.

"Careful. It's hot." Paige warned her but Emily heard someone else's voice. Jai's.

_Careful. It's hot_. Emily mentally shook her head. Now's not the time to think about Jai. Especially when she was this attracted to her girlfriend's best friend.

"How was your sleep?" Paige asked, oblivious to the memory she triggered just now.

"Good." Emily answered, placing the muffin and cup of coffee on Paige's bedside table before returning her attention to the girl.

"My clothes fit you okay?" Paige continued, studying Emily.

"Yeah." Emily said, starting to feel silly for replying to Paige's questions with one-word answers.

"I washed your clothes earlier. They're almost dry but you don't need to change into them. You don't have to get out of my clothes." Paige explained, thinking to herself that she definitely liked seeing Emily in her clothes.

"Thanks." Emily said, glad that Paige gave her an excuse to keep wearing the girl's clothes. She didn't want to get out of them just yet.

Paige took in the appearance of the gorgeous girl sitting on her bed in case it was for the last time. It was rare to see someone look this amazing having just woken up but by now she knew that Emily can never look bad. When her eyes traveled to the girl's neck and she saw the hickeys she gave Emily last night, Paige took out the concealer from the pocket of her running jacket and handed it to the girl.

"Here. Sorry for giving you those marks." Paige said, her eyes traveling to the hickeys again. "I figured you'd want to hide them once you step outside of my apartment so I borrowed this from Kayla. And by borrowed I mean it's now yours and I'm going to buy her a new one tomorrow."

"She knows I'm here?" Emily asked as she took the concealer, starting to panic. "Paige..."

"No. She doesn't." Paige interjected. "She doesn't know anything. I didn't tell her anything because it's still none of her business and I'm already in enough trouble as it is with her."

"What do you mean?" Emily said, staring up at Paige in confusion.

"I mean last night, when I told you that I was at Girard, I was with Kayla." Paige began, moving closer to Emily. "I just got the car from the dealership and I remembered that she had this after-school thing. She's like this chef guru in her school and her club is doing these cooking shows everyday which airs during lunch time. They were filming a week's worth of episodes last night so when I got there I was supposed to wait for her to finish. But then it began to rain and I remembered that it hasn't rained in days so you probably went to that seminar without an umbrella. I checked the time and I knew I just had to come back for you. I ran out of there as fast as I could without any explanation but I promised that I'd come back for her..."

"But then you didn't." Emily concluded.

"Because you kissed me. And then I kissed you. And then we kissed some more..." Paige trailed off, her cheeks growing warm as she held Emily's gaze, aware that the girl was blushing as well. She took a deep breath. "So."

"Paige..." Emily uttered, knowing what the girl was going to say next.

"Can we talk about it now?" Paige asked before Emily could cut her off. "Last night. What happened in the car… please tell me that wasn't a mistake." She said, her voice hoarse.

"I don't know what it was." Emily admitted helplessly.

"Then what _do_ you know?" Paige asked gently.

Emily exhaled. "That I like you. And that I can't stop thinking about you too." She confessed, meeting Paige's gaze.

"That's a good start." Paige said, encouraged by Emily's admission. Maybe there's hope. "What else do you know?"

"I know that I really like kissing you. Enough to kiss you for four hours without knowing it." Emily added, smiling timidly. She was aware that her cheeks were probably beet red by now but she also knew that the one person who could help make sense of things was standing in front of her.

"Well I _am_ a pretty great kisser." Paige said offhandedly, trying to make the mood light but felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Emily blush an even deeper shade of red, not contradicting what she said. "I really like kissing you too." She admitted as she slowly approached the bed and finally sat beside the girl.

"You do?" Emily asked, seemingly uncertain.

Paige laughed. "Why does that surprise you?" She asked, fighting the urge to lean forward and kiss Emily again. "Yes. I do. I think kissing you back twice is proof of that. And kissing you for four hours without knowing it further supports that proof. I've wanted to kiss you for a while now." Paige lied, not wanting to admit to Emily exactly how long she's had feelings for her. The last thing the girl needed to hear was Paige's heartfelt confession so she decided to tell her a half truth. "And with your permission... if you'd let me." She said, feeling like she was being too formal but she didn't care. She wanted to do this right. Say the right things to the girl. "I'd like to keep on kissing you." Paige continued, her gaze shifting to Emily's lips.

"Okay." Emily finally managed to reply, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared at Paige's lips.

"Okay?" Paige repeated, slowly starting to grin as she looked into Emily's eyes, moving closer.

Emily nodded. "Okay. But... I don't want anyone to know about it yet. I mean, I don't know what _this_ is." She emphasized, pointing to Paige then herself. "And I just don't want people asking me to define it or start talking about it..."

"Okay. We can take it slow." Paige told the girl reassuringly.

"It's still Jai. I still love Jai." Emily admitted helplessly, starting to feel guilty again.

"It's fine, Em. I can wait." Paige promised.

"Okay." Emily said, still unsure about what she just agreed to with Paige.

Paige leaned forward, her lips almost brushing Emily's when the girl pulled away.

"And we can see other people. And no one can know." Emily added. "I think I said that already." She added, getting embarrassed.

"You did." Paige confirmed, looking at Emily in amusement.

"Just making sure. You can't breathe a word to anyone. Especially not to Kayla, not even Reese." Emily rambled.

"Noted." Paige swore, leaning forward again. She just wanted to kiss Emily so badly that she would say yes to anything the girl asked.

"The Quaker Takeover tournament!" Emily suddenly exclaimed, confusing Paige.

"What?" Paige asked, getting frustrated that she can't seem to make Emily stop talking so she can kiss the girl already. "The what over what?"

"Quaker Takeover. It's this college house cup that's held every year. Last night before I left for the seminar Reese cornered me and forced me to join the tournament tomorrow... today. And it starts at seven. I have to go." Emily said, moving to get up but Paige held her arm, stopping her.

"It's almost nine." Paige said, pointing to the alarm clock on her bedside table.

Emily groaned. "Is Reese going to kill me?" She asked, giving Paige a worried look.

Paige shook her head. "No. She's just going to give you this speech about responsibility and time management but you'll live." She told the girl reassuringly.

Emily gave Paige a dubious look before reaching for her phone on the bedside table to check if she got any messages. _Twenty-five missed calls and seventeen text messages. All from Spencer. Great_. She quickly hit the call button, gesturing for Paige not to say anything as she waited for her friend to pick up.

"Hey. I know. I know. Sorry." Emily said, cringing when Spencer launched into a diatribe without letting her explain. "I know. Yeah. I get that. Yes. I know. I'm alive. I'm okay. You _did_ _not_ just call the morgue! Spence I'm fine. I'm sorry. I'll explain everything later." She promised, her mind already trying to think of a plausible lie. "Yeah. I'll be there soon. Thirty minutes? Yeah. Okay. Bye." She said before ending the call and looking at Paige. She didn't want to leave. She'd rather spend the entire day here with Paige but she knew she had to face Spencer and at some point, Reese as well.

"Thirty minutes, huh?" Paige said, her eyes traveling to the girl's lips. "When can we see each other again?" She asked, looking into Emily's eyes. She didn't want the girl to leave without kissing Emily.

"Well it's a weekend. And neither of us is going home to Rosewood. I think we're supposed to see a movie at the revival theatre tonight." Emily answered. "But... because of the whole secrecy thing... we can just rent an old movie and then I can come over tonight. Maybe we can have dinner?"

Paige nodded. "Dinner and a movie. I'll take care of dinner, you bring the movie." She suggested.

"Okay." Emily agreed. "I'll be here around seven."

"Seven? It's just nine o'clock." Paige complained, frowning. "I have to wait ten hours to see you again? I don't know if I can wait that long." She admitted before moving forward. "If I offer to drive you back to campus can you stay for a few more minutes?"

"Maybe." Emily replied, her heart pounding. "Yes." She added, changing her answer.

"Just so we're clear, I'm about to kiss you. On the lips. Most likely with tongue." Paige added, making Emily blush profusely. "And in order for me to do that you have to stop talking. If you have anything else you want to say it can wait. Because I _really_ want to kiss you right now. So may I please kiss you?" Paige asked as she leaned forward closer, her lips hovering a few inches near Emily's. "I promise not to leave any marks this time. I just want to kiss you in the light of day for a change."

"Well if you have to." Emily answered, smiling coyly. When Paige didn't move, Emily leaned forward ever so slightly. "Please kiss me now." She asked, her voice hoarse as she cradled Paige's cheek, meeting the other girl's lips with hers when Paige finally did.

The instant Paige's lips touched hers, Emily's brain shut down. All she could think about was Paige's soft lips moving against hers and she parted her lips, allowing Paige's tongue to meet its mate. Emily held Paige by the neck, pulling the girl towards her as their lips hungrily parted and met, like last night wasn't enough.

"_This is insane_." Emily breathed out when she and Paige briefly came up for air, touching their foreheads together as she brought one hand to cup the girl's cheek. She felt Paige gently push her to lie down on the girl's bed and Emily let her, their eyes never breaking contact.

Paige softly captured Emily's lips on hers again as she positioned herself on top of the girl, still unable to believe that she was holding Emily in her arms. And that they were making out on her bed. She was so elated with that thought that she didn't know when it happened and she suddenly found herself lying underneath the raven-haired girl, Emily's eyes sparkling mischievously as the girl sat on top of her.

"What?" Paige asked, starting to get nervous.

"You gave me four hickeys last night." Emily answered, pointing to her neck.

Paige blushed. "Sorry." She said as she lightly touched each love bite she deposited on the girl, making Emily's skin tingle.

"Don't be." Emily whispered, shifting from her position to make herself comfortable, unaware that Paige was fighting to keep her hormones in check as she moved on top of the girl.

Paige bit back a moan. She didn't want to show Emily how much she wanted to do more. The girl just agreed to see her in secret. Distracting herself, she brushed a strand of hair away from the girl's eyes and smiled. "How can I make it up to you?" She asked, hoping her voice didn't betray the lust she was feeling at the moment.

Emily glanced at the clock on Paige's bedside table. "Let's see how many love bites I can give you in thirty minutes." She suggested, moving to bury her head on the crook of the girl's neck.

Paige's eyes widened in panic. "Maybe you can do them somewhere else? Like on my wrist or something?" She added, squirming underneath the girl.

Emily grinned. "Why? Are you scared I can give you more than four?" She asked teasingly.

"No. No." Paige repeated, her pulse racing as she shook her head adamantly.

"Then what?" Emily asked before burying her head on the girl's neck, waiting for Paige's reply. She breathed in the girl's scent, her pulse racing when she deposited a kiss on Paige's soft skin.

Paige bit her bottom lip when a moan escaped from her lips. "Em." She uttered breathlessly.

"What?" Emily said, lifting her head and smiling when Paige blindly found her hand and intertwined it with hers.

"It's just that... I have an activity on Tuesday. A 5K run. I'll be wearing track shorts and a sleeveless shirt... no room to hide a hickey... hickeys." Paige corrected when she saw that Emily was about to protest. _Unless you put it somewhere else that is…_ She thought, biting her tongue to keep from saying those words out loud.

"Can I give you one after?" Emily asked boldly.

"Yeah. You can give me more than one after." Paige promised, smiling at the beautiful girl sitting on top of her.

"Okay." Emily said, leaning forward and letting her silken hair frame around their faces.

Paige's smile widened when Emily's hair tickled her cheeks. "Okay?" She repeated, staring into the girl's twinkling brown eyes.

"Yeah. Now kiss me before you have to drive me home already." Emily commanded, leaning closer.

"With pleasure." Paige whispered, raising her head slightly to capture Emily's lips on hers.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, Emily was biting her bottom lip to keep from grinning like an idiot as she alighted from the elevator and made her way to the room she shared with Spencer. She was still wearing Paige's sweatpants and track and field t-shirt, the hickeys the girl gave her now hidden by tons of concealer courtesy of Kayla. Good thing it was almost winter. She could wear a turtleneck or a scarf around her neck whenever she went out. She knocked on her door and smiled at her floormates who passed by her while she waited for Spencer to open the door.

"Where did you sleep?" Spencer sharply asked in greeting once the girl pulled open the door.

Emily looked behind her and saw that some of their floormates were staring at them in surprise. She gave them an apologetic smile, pushed her friend back inside their room and locked the door behind her before turning around to face the girl.

"Well?" Spencer asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"At Kayla's." Emily finally answered, hoping Spencer doesn't have Kayla's number.

"Why did you sleep there?" Spencer continued, making Emily sigh in relief that her friend didn't call Jai's sister last night.

"Okay this is what happened." Emily began, walking over to her side of the room and sitting on the edge of her bed. "The seminar was done. And it was raining hard. Just when I thought I was going to be stranded I spotted Paige across the street from Franklin Field so I crossed it, getting drenched and everything just to ask if she could give me a ride back here."

"In her bike?" Spencer asked, confused.

"No. Her dad bought her a car yesterday." Emily explained. "Anyway, last night my phone was malfunctioning. Probably because it got wet several times. And I couldn't make a call, not even send a text. So I couldn't call or text you to tell you that I'm going to be late getting home or even ask you to come get me. Then Paige said she can't drive me back to Harrison as she's on her way to pick up Kayla in Girard so I decided to come along for the ride instead rather than wait for the rain to stop."

"And then?" Spencer said, urging Emily to continue.

"Once we picked up Jai's sister we headed back to their apartment and then had dinner at Kayla's. By the time we were done it was really late and I didn't want to ask Paige to drive me back here. I didn't want to commute by myself so I decided to spend the night at Kayla's instead. I swear I sent you a text before I slept but apparently my phone was still malfunctioning." Emily lied. "I'm sorry. I just assumed you got my message and didn't reply because you were already asleep."

"So why are you wearing Paige's clothes if you slept at Kayla's?" Spencer asked suspiciously. "Because unless Kayla goes to UPenn and runs track, that shirt belongs to Paige."

Emily looked down on the clothes she was wearing. "I asked Paige if I could borrow some of her clothes since mine got drenched again when I ran across the street. I tried borrowing from Kayla but Paige is more of my size so in the end she lent me her clothes." She explained.

"And where are your clothes now?" Spencer asked, looking pointedly at Emily's empty hands.

"Still at Paige's. She let me wash it there but it hasn't dried. I wanted to get back here so she drove me and told me she'll just give my clothes back when they're dry." Emily replied, feeling guiltier with each lie she told her friend.

"That's the least she could do for refusing to drive you back last night instead." Spencer commented, finally sitting down on her bed, done with giving Emily the third degree.

"Spence, it wasn't Paige's fault." Emily said, now guilty for unintentionally making the girl look bad in her friend's eyes. As if Spencer didn't hate Paige enough before.

"Yes it is. She has a car. It's just a few minutes back to Harrison and she couldn't have been bothered to swing by here?" Spencer said disbelievingly. "She's never going to change. Just when you think she will, she pulls something like this."

"Kayla was waiting. Can you please not blame her?" Emily pleaded.

"Why are you defending her? Just because she gave you cupcakes and your favorite horror movie on DVD for your birthday don't mean she's changed." Spencer pointed out. "You said Kayla had to remind her just for her to remember that it was your birthday." She added, making Emily realize that she's been lying to her friend about Paige for months.

"It's not like Paige was throwing a party for me in high school whenever it was my birthday. She didn't really have a reason to remember." Emily replied. "I'm just saying." She hurriedly said when she saw Spencer frown.

"Enough about Paige. Have you had breakfast yet?" Spencer asked in an effort to change the subject.

"No. I haven't." Emily lied despite being full from the muffin she ate in Paige's car while the girl drove her back. "I'll just take a quick shower then we can head downstairs for breakfast. Brunch." She corrected when she noticed the time on her clock before getting up.

"Okay. You take a shower; I'll go throw the trash." Spencer said, getting up as well. "I've been cleaning nonstop since I was so worried about you and I needed a distraction."

Emily smiled and moved to retrieve her bath towel from the back of her chair when she heard a knock on the door. She and Spencer exchanged a look and being nearer to the door, she decided to see who it was.

"Are you capable of telling time?!" Reese exclaimed the second she saw Emily. "I seem to recall telling you last night that the tournament's at _seven in the morning_. Did I not make myself clear?"

"I know. I'm sorry." Emily said, dying to ask the girl how she found out where her room is. Last time she checked Paige didn't know. But asking Reese that question was irrelevant considering the girl was fuming.

"Where have you been?!" Reese asked, irritated. "Did you oversleep or something?"

"No. Well yeah. But not here. I just came back. I slept at a friend's apartment last night." Emily explained vaguely.

"You mean you slept at Paige's." Reese guessed when she saw the shirt Emily was wearing.

Emily shook her head. "No. She just lent me her clothes but I slept at another friend's apartment." She corrected, sticking to her story.

Reese studied Emily suspiciously, her eyes narrowing when her gaze landed on the girl's neck. She was about to ask why Emily's lying when the door opened wider and she found herself staring at a tall, thin girl with sharp features.

"Reese, this is Spencer. My roommate and one of my best friends. Spence this is Reese, Paige's team captain and... friend." Emily added for lack of a better term. She still didn't know what the real score between the two girls is.

"Hi. I would shake your hand but I'm on my way to take out the trash." Spencer said, pointing to the black garbage bag in her hand.

Reese stepped aside. "By all means, throw it. We can shake hands some other time." She replied, letting the girl pass before returning her attention to Emily who looked like she was on the verge of hyperventilating. "So did you remind Paige about the umbrella?" She asked when she and Emily were alone.

Emily shook her head again. "No. We didn't get a chance to talk..."

"I bet." Reese interjected, smirking.

"About the umbrella." Emily continued, ignoring Reese's remark. "But we did talk." She added defensively.

Reese shrugged. "If you say so. I'll let this one slide. But you're gonna have to make it up to the others. We had to forfeit today. Practice your dodge ball skills. You're gonna play in December." She told the girl. "Do you have any plans today?"

"Why?" Emily asked. "Are you going to invite me to a dodge ball practice or something?"

"No. I was gonna suggest that you go to the mall and buy a concealer that actually matches your skin tone. You're not deceiving anyone." Reese said in a low voice. "Unless someone else gave you those marks last night, I'm guessing you really slept over at Paige's." She said smugly before walking away.

* * *

Paige glanced at the time on the wall clock in the living room, fighting the urge to start a habit of biting her nails as she waited for Emily to arrive. The past ten hours have been the longest wait of her life and she had been busy cleaning her apartment all day and checking her phone in case Emily called or texted telling her that she just changed her mind in the past few hours that they spent apart. Like maybe being back in Harrison with Spencer would make Emily realize that she made a mistake. But it's almost seven and so far, no calls or texts.

A knock on the door made Paige's stomach flutter and she took a deep breath before making her way towards it. She glanced around her apartment one last time, dimming the lights before peering into the eyehole and biting her bottom lip to keep from grinning when she saw that it was indeed Emily. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she finally pulled the door open and gave the girl a smile.

"Hey." Paige said, trying not to seem too excited to see the girl again but terribly failing.

"Hey." Emily replied, smiling timidly.

They stared at each other for a moment, realizing for the first time since what happened that things between them have changed. Paige took in Emily's outfit for the night, form-fitting jeans and a white turtleneck that clung to the girl's curves, the girl's lips glossy and her cheeks pink either from the cold or from blushing, she couldn't tell but she liked it.

Emily willed her pulse to stop racing as she stood in front of Paige, reminding herself that the girl knows that she likes her so there's really no need to pretend she doesn't. When she was in Harrison preparing to leave, she didn't know what to wear tonight. It's not like they were going to some fancy restaurant so there's no need to dress up. And it's not like she's sleeping over again so there's no need to wear pajamas or bring one. So she finally settled on something casual. A pair of jeans and a form-fitting turtleneck to hide her hickeys plus she knew she looked great in it. Paige's reaction just confirmed it.

"Unless you just plan to stare at me all night I think this is the part where you ask me to come in." Emily managed to say teasingly despite the pounding of her heart.

Paige felt her cheeks turn several shades of red. "Ri- uh, right, yeah." She stammered, stepping aside to let the girl in. She took a deep breath, mentally telling herself to try acting a little cool before closing the door behind her and facing Emily. "So."

"So." Emily repeated, waiting for Paige to continue.

"Movie?" Paige asked hesitantly.

Emily nodded and handed Paige the DVD she rented, her breath hitching when Paige's thumb brushed against hers when the girl took it.

"Okay. Movie night tonight." Paige declared as she walked towards the living room with Emily close behind.

Emily watched Paige head to the player, using it as her opportunity to study the girl. Paige could've just worn sweatpants and a loose shirt since they weren't going out but they both knew tonight was special so the girl chose to wear a denim skirt that showed off Paige's shapely legs and a green sleeveless top that showed off her toned arms. Emily looked around and saw that the coffee table was already set with dinner. Several table napkins, two glasses, a choice of water, juice, or soda, and a box of Hawaiian pizza with all of the pineapples placed on the other half already. She smiled, amazed that Paige remembered.

Paige took out the disc from the box and popped it in the player, glancing at the cover to read the title. She looked towards Emily to ask the girl something when she saw that Emily was staring at the dinner on the coffee table. "Should I have bought Chinese or Italian?" She asked instead, getting nervous.

Jai usually spent hundreds of dollars on dinner with Emily. Paige saw the receipts lying around on her friend's desk in her bedroom whenever they hung out and her best friend was so fluent in speaking several foreign languages that Jai had no trouble taking Emily to a five-star French or Spanish restaurant. Maybe she should've bought something along those lines tonight instead of ordering pizza that she didn't even bother to transfer to a serving plate.

"No." Emily said, shaking her head. "I was just surprised that you remembered how I liked my pizza." She explained, looking at Paige. "I think the first time we ate one was during the fair."

"_You_ ate yours. I gave mine to Chloe as a peace offering." Paige reminded the girl. "Is this a horror film?" She asked, looking at Emily suspiciously.

Emily shook her head. "Why would I want to scare you tonight?" She replied. "It's a silent comedy film. I'm not really in the mood to watch a horror film right now."

_I'm not in the mood to watch anything_. "Right." Paige said, placing the box on the coffee table. "Just checking. I don't want to scream until your ears bleed or pass out on you. I have my dignity, you know?" She said lightly.

"I know. That's why I didn't rent one either." Emily shot back, smiling.

Paige walked past the girl and took a seat on the couch, waiting for Emily to do the same but the girl just stood there. She extended a hand for Emily to take, her stomach fluttering when Emily did and sat next to her. Ever since the girl stepped inside her apartment tonight they haven't touched each other. Unless of course you count the accidental thumb brush earlier when Emily handed the DVD to her. So Emily can't really blame her if she held on to the girl's hand for a few minutes. Paige stared at their hands, still in awe that she was sitting next to Emily without having to hide her attraction to the girl. That she can hold the girl's hand and enjoy doing so without wondering if she was making Emily uncomfortable.

"Did Spencer give you a hard time this morning?" Paige asked, looking at Emily with concern.

Emily took a deep breath and nodded, trying to steady the beating of her heart when she felt Paige's thumb rub the back of her hand gently. It still felt weird sitting this close and knowing they're attracted to each other. "Yeah. She did. A little. Spencer asked why I was wearing your clothes. I told her you lent them to me when I slept over at Kayla's." She finally answered. "The entire conversation I was lying to her."

"Sorry." Paige said, swallowing hard.

Emily tore her eyes away from their hands to look at Paige. "What? Why? What for?" She asked, giving Paige a confused look.

Paige reluctantly removed her hand from Emily's. "Because. You won't have a reason to lie if I didn't ask you to try things with me." She explained.

"Paige, I've been lying to Spencer ever since I first kissed you. Probably even longer." Emily admitted. "I'm not saying it's your fault."

Paige nodded. "I know. But if I hadn't asked this morning, if I just let you go home without talking about it..."

"Then we won't be sitting here. I'll be dodging you and not answering your calls and messages again." Emily finished for the girl. "I don't like lying to her." She admitted. "But I can't stay away from you either."

Paige let out a relieved sigh. "I know you're taking a risk. So I promise I won't be a burden to you." She said earnestly. "I won't cause you problems. You won't hear me complaining."

"Then can you help me out with Reese?" Emily suddenly asked.

"Why? Did you see her?" Paige asked, her eyebrows creasing in concern.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. She somehow found out where my room is and asked why I wasn't able to make it. I gave her the Kayla excuse but she could tell I was lying. She knows I slept here." She added, getting anxious. "Unlike Spencer, she noticed that the concealer I was using this morning wasn't the same skin tone as mine. She saw the hickeys and the shirt I was wearing and she just knew I spent the night here."

"Okay. I'll take care of it on Monday." Paige promised. "She won't suspect a thing."

Emily sighed. "I just want to forget everything that happened today outside of this room and just focus on the movie, dinner... and you." She admitted, smiling faintly.

Paige nodded and got up, turning off the lights so it would seem like they were in a theatre. She sat back down and leaned forward to grab the remote control from the coffee table, pressing play and focusing her gaze on the TV screen. Paige tried to enjoy the movie for a few minutes but began to grow restless. She really wanted to kiss Emily ever since she saw the girl standing outside her door but she didn't know how to initiate it. She can't just kiss the girl out of nowhere. Paige started stealing glances at the girl who seemed to be fascinated with the movie before turning her body to face Emily completely. She waited for her to react but Emily's eyes kept glued to the screen. Paige watched as the lights flickered on Emily's exquisite features, resisting the urge to touch the girl.

"You're blushing." Paige said softly when she saw Emily's cheeks start getting red despite the faint source of light and she finally moved to fix Emily's hair so it was out of the way when she decides to kiss her any second now.

"You would too if I kept staring at you." Emily replied, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

"True." Paige answered, leaning forward and depositing a soft kiss on the girl's smooth cheek, the faint smell of vanilla reaching her nostrils.

"I'm trying to watch the film." Emily insisted, resisting the urge to face Paige.

"_Really_." Paige said, kissing Emily softly on the cheek again. "Don't you mean you're _pretending_ to watch it?" When Emily didn't say anything, she continued. "Then don't mind me at all." She whispered on the girl's ear before depositing a light kiss on Emily's earlobe. She let out a low laugh when she heard Emily's breathing hitch. "Something wrong?"

Emily shook her head, her pulse racing as Paige kept depositing tiny kisses everywhere. On her cheek, on the side of her jaw, on her earlobe, on her neck, on her temple, on her chin, on the corner of her mouth... everywhere but on her lips. She bit her bottom lip to stop herself from saying anything.

"If you want me to kiss you somewhere else just say so." Paige said teasingly. "I accept requests."

Emily swallowed hard and finally met Paige's gaze, unable to pretend any longer that she was interested in watching the film when all she wanted was for Paige to kiss her ever since the girl opened the door.

"Finally I got your attention." Paige whispered, kissing Emily on the lips this time. "You still want to watch the film?" She asked, her lips mere inches away from Emily's.

"What film?" Emily managed to ask before Paige's lips met hers again and she felt herself gently being pushed to lie down on the couch.

Paige moved so she was lying on top of the girl, deepening their kiss as she placed her hands on Emily's slim waist, pulling the girl closer to her.

Emily wrapped her arms around Paige's neck, letting her hands run through the girl's soft hair as she parted her lips ever so slightly, enjoying Paige's lips moving languidly against hers. They had the rest of the night to do this and like her; Paige was trying to take things slow this time.

"This is better than watching a silent movie." Emily whispered when they briefly came up for air, cupping Paige's cheek as the lights from the TV screen flickered on the girl's face.

"This is _much_ better." Paige agreed, smiling when Emily pulled her closer, their eyes drifting close as she captured Emily's lips on hers again.

* * *

"So how are all of your classes?" Nick asked before taking a bite off his burger, wiping the corners of his mouth with a tissue as he chewed. "The semester's about to end. How are you faring so far?"

He and Paige were sitting opposite each other on one of the tables in the food court of the King of Prussia Mall, enjoying a late lunch of burgers and fries on a Sunday afternoon. Nick chose to pay a visit to his daughter rather than ask Paige to drive to Rosewood since the girl was still trying to familiarize herself with her new car. Once he arrived at his daughter's apartment, Nick told Paige to drive them to the mall so the girl will have a chance to use the car longer than driving to and from campus, leaving his car on Paige's parking spot at the garage of the apartment building.

"Okay. I'm getting all the help I can get from Reese. It's a good thing they have that study group in our track team." Paige admitted before taking a sip of her orange juice.

"Reese?" Nick inquired, looking at his daughter curiously.

"She's the captain of the track team." Paige supplied. "Sorry. I seem to have forgotten to tell you about her."

"It's fine. So long as she's just the captain of your team and you're not seeing her seriously." Nick said after taking a sip of his soda. "You aren't, right?"

"No. I'm not. Dad she has a girlfriend." Paige revealed, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Well are you seeing anyone seriously?" Nick asked, studying his daughter. "Because you know the rules. This is college and we agreed you can see girls so long as…"

"I don't get too involved. I know the rules, dad. But I'm not serious about anyone right now." Paige lied. "I'm not even seeing anyone because between school and sports I don't have time for it."

"Just checking. I won't be able to visit you as often as I'd like in the coming weeks since I need to be in California. And I know how much you hate Kayla checking up on you." Nick explained. "That's why I want to make sure that you're okay before I leave."

"I'm fine." Paige promised. "I'm not even losing sleep."

"Good. That's good to hear." Nick said, smiling at his daughter. "You're coming home for Thanksgiving next week, right? I don't have to leave for California until the day after so we can have Thanksgiving dinner."

Paige nodded. "Yeah. I wouldn't miss Gwen's cooking. And Logan invited me and Emily to the post-Thanksgiving dinner we usually have. Even if Jai isn't around anymore he thought it would be nice to continue the tradition." She explained. "I'll probably give Kayla a ride back to Rosewood. Swing by Girard first."

Nick's expression suddenly changed to one of disbelief. "Speaking of Girard. You'd never guess who I ran into the other day on my way to work." He said, leaning forward on his seat.

"Who?" Paige asked, wondering why her dad seemed glad.

"Hank Thomas." Nick revealed. "You and his daughter were good friends back in Girard, right? What was her name again? Celia? Celine? Cecile?"

"Cesca." Paige said hoarsely, feeling like she was going to faint.

"That's right. Cesca." Nick repeated, oblivious to his daughter's sudden distress. "Well Hank and I managed to catch up. Turns out his daughter is studying in UPenn as well. She's on the swim team."

_So I wasn't imagining it. It __**really**__ was her_. Paige thought, remembering catching a glimpse of the girl when she was waiting with Reese for Emily outside of Pottruck Center last week. "Did you tell Hank I go to UPenn as well?" She asked, her stomach churning. _Please say no, please say no_.

"Of course I did." Nick answered, making Paige's blood run cold. "I told Hank to give Cesca your number. Maybe it'd give the two of you a chance to catch up. She was friends with Jasmine too. Right?"

"Right." Paige managed to reply before she tuned out the rest of what her father was saying to her.

* * *

Emily emerged from her Calculus class at the Cohen Hall on a Monday morning, descending the steps while composing a message on her phone to send to Spencer, asking where her friend is so they can have lunch. She actually wanted to ask Paige but she didn't want to risk being seen in public with the girl too much. People seeing Paige hang out at the café was normal since the girl and Reese have been visiting the place even before she and Paige hooked up. But people seeing her and Paige spending time beyond the normal café scene… pretty soon people would start asking. So it's best if she and Paige met for dinner instead.

Pocketing her phone, Emily walked the pathway between Williams and Houston Halls, exiting on Spruce Street so she can cross and head for the Quadrangle where she and Spencer usually met for lunch at the Café at McClelland. She was about to head for the pedestrian crossing when she stopped in her tracks. There, parked a few steps away from her, leaning against the passenger door of her brand new SUV, was none other than Paige.

Emily considered turning around and taking a longer way to the Quadrangle but Paige already saw her and when the girl waved, she waved back in return when she saw how eager Paige seemed. She reluctantly headed towards the girl, looking around her to see if anyone was staring.

"What are you doing here?!" Emily asked urgently when she was standing in front of the girl.

"Picking you up. I was hoping we could have lunch at my apartment since this is your last class for the day and my classes don't start until one." Paige explained, oblivious to Emily's paranoia.

"You should've called or texted me first." Emily said, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

"I wanted to surprise you." Paige admitted, shrugging as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Well you did." Emily said in a tone that made Paige realize that Emily didn't appreciate the gesture. "I already made plans to have lunch with Spencer today. I'm actually on my way to meet her now."

"Tell her something came up and have lunch with me instead. I promise to drive you back to Harrison before I head to my class later." Paige added, aware that she was making Emily choose right now but she wanted to spend time with the girl even if it's just for an hour.

Emily ran a hand wearily through her hair. "Paige..."

"Please?" Paige begged.

Emily looked around them and saw that the people passing by are starting to stare. They had to leave. "Fine." She answered, making Paige grin. "Don't." She warned the girl when she saw that Paige was about to open the door for her. "I can open it myself."

"Okay." Paige said, walking over to the driver's seat of the car to get in.

Emily opened the passenger door and got inside the car, placing her books and shoulder bag on her lap once she was settled. She stole a glance at Paige as the girl started the car and felt guilty. The girl's face was beaming. Emily knew that Paige really wanted to spend time with her and the girl probably didn't understand why she didn't appreciate Paige's surprise. Because other than telling the girl last Saturday to keep what they were doing a secret, all they did that day was make out. She forgot to set ground rules like aside from not saying anything to people; they can't be seen in public all the time. As she reached for the seatbelt, Emily's gaze wandered outside her window and though the glass was tinted and they can't see inside, she saw people staring at them. One of them could know someone Emily knew from Rosewood and eventually, that someone she knows would ask her and she wouldn't know what to say.

"Ready to go?" Paige asked, but Emily heard someone else's voice again. Jai's.

_Ready to go?_ "Just drive, Paige." Emily replied, eager to get away from the curious stares of the people outside.

* * *

"So tomorrow Coach Steve wants everyone to be here before five AM." Reese said, giving Paige a pointed look. "We need all hands on deck for this one. A lot of athletes and students are participating this year and while the AChiO sisters are doing what they can to help us out, this is _our_ event so we need to be in full force. Are there any questions or problems any of you want to address now?"

Paige looked around the room as she stood beside the open door of her locker. Since she was a freshman, she was new to the whole 5K Ribbon Run event but from what Reese told her, it's an activity that both the men and women's track and field teams hold every year in cooperation with the Alpha Chi Omega sorority which is apparently _the_ go-to sorority of women athletes in UPenn.

"Okay then. So just a reminder, the awarding of the winners will be done at the post-run party tomorrow night at the AChiO house on Spruce Street. Now let's all get one thing clear. You can't show up at the party if you didn't show up to help during the run. I'll be taking attendance together with the captain of the men's track and the president of AChiO. We all agreed that it's a fair rule to set. Everybody understand?" Reese asked, looking around the room.

Paige nodded with the rest of her teammates, making a mental note to set her alarm clock and the alarm on her watch and even on her phone to make sure that she does wake up in case she fell asleep late tonight.

"I'll see you ladies tomorrow." Reese said, signaling the end of the meeting.

Paige closed the door of her locker and waited until the rest of their teammates have left the room before she made her way to Reese, taking out of her duffel bag the red folding umbrella she bought.

"I am officially out of your service." Paige declared, handing the umbrella to Reese smugly. "I got around to buying you a new umbrella yesterday. I went to the mall. In my car." She added, grinning.

"Oh so that's why you're so smug. You finally got your car. I guess now it's my turn to ask you to drive me around town in case I needed to buy a rare to find DVD and a box of cupcakes or even tickets to a dance for the girl I like." Reese shot back, taking the umbrella and putting it inside her duffel bag before zipping it. "Perfect timing by the way. My car's in the shop this week. Which means I get to be the first girl to ride in your car."

"Yes you are." Paige lied.

"Café Prima?" Reese guessed, giving Paige a knowing look.

Paige nodded and they exited the locker room in silence. She was trying to rack her brain for a way to segue the conversation to what Reese said to Emily since she promised the girl that she'd take care of it. But she can't seem eager to talk about it or Reese will figure out that Emily told her.

"You going to invite Emily to the party tomorrow night?" Reese asked as they headed outside the football stadium.

"I thought the party was for those who ran in the morning?" Paige replied, giving Reese a confused look.

Reese shook her head. "It's not an exclusive party for the participants. When the AChiOs throw a party most if not all of the athletes come. And since Emily is in the women's swim team you can invite her." She explained. "What I said earlier was for the team. It's not fair if we get up at four in the morning to facilitate this run and then one of us ends up missing it but then she shows up at the party later. If they want to join the celebration, they have to do their share in the hard work too. So are you planning to invite Emily?" She asked again.

"I don't know..." Paige answered, a little hesitant. Emily might not want to come with her.

"I'm inviting Billie. And she's from _Drexel_." Reese emphasized. "If she can come, so can Emily. Don't you want to spend time with the girl you're crazy about?"

"I'll think about it." Paige replied. The truth was she _did_ want to invite Emily. When she heard that the party was for athletes her thoughts immediately drifted to the girl. But during their lunch earlier Paige knew that Emily was annoyed at her for showing up unannounced outside the girl's class and she didn't get a chance to apologize for it. She was hoping now she can.

"Why do you have to think about it?" Reese asked, giving Paige a confused look. "I was under the impression that the two of you already decided to start seeing each other since last Saturday."

Paige breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Reese finally broached the subject. She nodded. "We did. For all of two seconds. Emily came to my apartment later that night and told me that it's too soon. She said she wanted to go back to us being purely platonic so I agreed." She explained, feigning disappointment.

Reese stared at Paige dubiously. "That doesn't sound like you. You're stubborn. You can't have agreed to what she wanted that easily." She pointed out, following Paige as the girl headed for the parking lot.

"I didn't. I tried telling her we can make it work. But she still said no. I figured I was going to lose her either way and being her friend is better than nothing so in the end Emily got her way." Paige said, sighing.

"And I even gave her a pass for flaking out on me." Reese revealed, annoyed. "Emily didn't show up for the college house cup tournament so we had to forfeit competing in the Minute-To-Win-It challenges. When I finally found out where her room was after asking around, I knocked on her door to give her a lecture and she told me she just got back that's why she didn't make it. I decided to let it go when I realized she was with you then you tell me you already crashed and burned?" She ranted, side-eyeing Paige. "She slept over at your apartment, didn't she?"

"Yeah. She slept on my bed and I slept on the couch." Paige admitted, knowing there was no point in lying about it. "But she doesn't want anyone to know so please keep that a secret. I mean her friends aren't really mine so..."

"Oh now I get why that Spencer chick was trying hard not to glare at me when Emily mentioned that I was your friend when she did the introductions." Reese interjected.

"You met Spencer?" Paige asked as she unlocked the doors of her car.

"Tall chick, long hair, sharp face?" Reese described as she placed her duffel bag on the backseat of Paige's car. "Yeah. I did. I was going to ask why Emily was lying about sleeping over at your place since she's wearing your clothes. Then I saw her friend and it all made sense."

Paige nodded. "That's part of the reason why she said we should just go back to being friends. Her friends hate me." She admitted, starting the car and buckling her seatbelt.

"Well can you blame them? They're her friends and you said you were horrible to Emily for years." Reese reminded the girl. "If you want to change Emily's mind about the whole platonic thing, you should start spending more time with them. You'll see. In no time Spencer will rally your cause." She promised.

"I'll keep that in mind." Paige said as she shifted the gear into drive. Reese just gave her an idea. Maybe if she did that, Emily would consider making things public between them. "Hey no eating!" She exclaimed, slamming on the breaks when she saw Reese pull out an energy bar from the pocket of her running jacket.

"What? But I'm starving." Reese argued.

"I don't care. Let your big intestine consume your small intestine or some other organ. I have two rules when riding in my car." Paige declared, grabbing the energy bar and throwing it on the backseat of the car. "One, no eating inside unless it's absolutely necessary. And even if I allow it, you can't drink juice, coffee, soda or any other beverage that isn't water. And you can't eat messy foods or foods that leave an 'aftersmell' like noodles, burritos, tacos, burgers, and subs. And two, no touching the stereo."

"Man you're strict." Reese said, making a face. "There's no way around those rules? Like if I offer to pay you a hundred bucks or something?" She asked, looking behind her to see where her energy bar went.

"Well there _are_ two ways." Paige admitted as she resumed driving. "I only told Kayla this since she constantly rode in my dad's car and I applied the same rules there. But I guess if you plan on hitching a ride with me you should know as well. One, you have to be god."

"Duh. That one's out. What's the other one?" Reese asked, waiting for Paige to continue.

"You have to do something. The one thing that would make me care more about you than the car." Paige said, stopping at a red light. "You have to make me fall in love with you." She revealed, giving Reese a smug grin.

* * *

Emily emerged from the back room of the café just as she heard the front door open and close and felt her lips curl into a smile when she saw Paige enter, her smile disappearing when she saw Reese in tow. _Of course_. It's not like Paige was going to stop hanging out with Reese just because she and the girl decided to see each other in secret. She kept her focus on Paige and released the breath she was holding in when the girl nodded, indicating that she already talked to Reese. Emily made her way over to them despite knowing what the two girls were going to order, making sure she was acting normal so Reese won't get suspicious again.

"Hey." Emily said in greeting, looking at Paige.

"Hey." Paige repeated, grinning at the girl.

"Hey." Reese chimed in, making the two girls look at her. "Oh I'm sorry. Was two the limit to the number of 'hey's we can say around here? Did I just violate some sort of secret code? Is that your thing? Or can I also say hey?" She asked sarcastically.

Paige rolled her eyes, looking at Emily apologetically. Reese was probably cranky because she didn't let the girl eat inside her car earlier.

"So Kit told me that you changed shifts with her again this week. Well aren't you little miss fickle-minded." Reese commented, staring at Emily. "Don't worry. I didn't tell her the reason why you kept changing shifts. Your secret's safe with me."

Emily ignored Reese's comment, knowing if she got defensive the girl would know something's up. Best let her think she's right. "Kit probably wants to kill me right now." She said, embarrassed.

Reese shook her head. "Kit's used to the late shift. She prefers it actually. So don't worry about it." She told Emily offhandedly. "So. Do you know about the party at the AChiO house tomorrow night?" She asked, ignoring Paige's warning look.

"I've heard of it. Yeah." Emily admitted. "Some of my teammates are joining the run tomorrow morning then going to the party."

"What about you? Are you coming to the party? 'Cos Paige here could use the company." Reese said, nudging lightly the girl seated next to her on the loveseat. "You don't have to join the run to go to the party. You should come. Keep Paige entertained. I'm gonna be busy."

Paige inconspicuously shook her head when she saw Emily's panicked look, trying to tell the girl that Reese was just messing with her head and that she doesn't know anything. "Where's the bathroom?" She suddenly asked, getting up. "I haven't had the chance to use the bathroom here. Reese?" She said, looking at the girl seated on the couch. "Mind pointing me to where you spend most of your time here?" She asked with a straight face, getting back at the girl for her comment.

"The one for customers is out of order right now." Emily answered, hoping Reese doesn't decide to verify her story. "You should probably use the one the employees use at the back. I'll show you." She said, leading the way.

Paige glared at Reese before following Emily, knowing the girl probably knew that she wasn't really going to use the bathroom but talk to Emily in private instead. But that's the least of her concern right now.

"I swear she bought the story." Paige said once she and Emily were inside the cramped space in the back room.

"What did you tell her?" Emily asked, looking past Paige towards the front of the café to check if they were alone.

"The truth. That I did give you the hickeys and that you slept over in my apartment. She knows about that. There's no going around that one. But I said that we met later that night and you decided you didn't want to try and left with no choice I went along with it." Paige explained.

"Now I get why she called me little miss fickle-minded." Emily said wryly. "She thinks I keep changing my mind when it comes to you. First with my shift, then with our relationship."

"Well you _did_ change shifts last week to avoid me." Paige reminded the girl. "Which isn't the point right now." She added when she saw Emily frown. "I figured you'd rather she think that than know that we're sneaking around." Paige admitted. "So do you want to come to the party tomorrow night? Like Reese said, it's for athletes."

Emily shook her head. "First you show up outside my class unannounced, now you're trying to show me off to your teammates." She said in an accusing tone.

"What? No. I'm not trying to get us caught. I'm sorry about lunch. I promise it won't happen again." Paige said earnestly. "I just want to see you at the party and you can even invite Spencer to come. It'd give me the chance to hang out with your friend."

"Why would you want to do that?" Emily asked, confused.

"I thought it'd be easier if Spencer and I sort of become friends." Paige admitted.

"Easier for whom? Paige I don't want her to know. The last thing I want right now is for you to spend time with her." Emily explained, starting to panic.

"Oh. Okay." Paige said, hiding her disappointment. "Then I won't bring it up again. Now about the party?" She asked, going back to a lighter topic. "It's a popular event among athletes because it's tradition. No one would think you came for me."

"Little confident, aren't you? Thinking I would come to the party just to see you?" Emily said, starting to smile.

Paige shrugged. "It's worth a shot. Come on. Please?" She begged, taking Emily's hand.

"Fine. I'll think about it." Emily finally answered, her pulse racing when Paige began playing with their hands.

"Good." Paige said, grinning. "So are we alone?" She asked, looking past Emily to see if there was someone else inside the room.

"Yeah. They're all outside." Emily replied, nodding her head towards the front of the café.

Paige focused her attention on Emily and leaned forward, depositing a soft kiss on Emily's lips. "I've been dying to do that since I walked in and saw you looking gorgeous in this apron of yours." She revealed, tucking a strand of hair away from the girl's eyes. She leaned in close again, her lips just mere inches away from the girl. "Are you sure we're alone?" She asked again.

"How long does it take for you to use the bathroom?" Emily asked, her arms wrapping around Paige's neck.

"Five minutes tops." Paige admitted, her arms moving to Emily's waist to pull the girl closer to her.

"You need a bigger bladder." Emily managed to say before Paige claimed her lips once more.

"I can't wait until your shift ends." Paige said in-between kisses. "I wish we were back in my place so we can do this without having to worry about getting caught."

"It's still a few more hours." Emily said as she leaned her body closer to the girl. "And your five minutes are up."

"Already?" Paige complained, frustrated. She forced herself to stop kissing Emily, depositing a kiss on the girl's lips before pulling away. "To be continued later." She promised.

Emily nodded. "You go back first. I'll follow you soon." She said, fixing her apron and her ponytail.

"I need a bigger bladder." Paige muttered, kissing Emily on the cheek before turning around and heading back to Reese reluctantly.

Emily sighed, smiling as she watched Paige head back to the front of the café. She bit her bottom lip to try to wipe the smile off her lips as she headed back to the counter, wishing her shift would end so she and Paige can go back to the girl's apartment.

* * *

"I know. I know." Spencer repeated, continuing to browse the magazine on her lap as she sat cross-legged on her bed, talking on the phone with Connor. "Yeah. Well I'll try asking her but I doubt she'll want to go so don't get your hopes up. I barely convinced her to go to that sorority party last week."

Spencer looked up when she heard the door open and close, smiling at her friend when Emily came into view.

"She didn't enjoy it, Connor. She barely talked when she was there." Spencer pointed out, watching as her friend headed to the bathroom to change, closing the door behind her. "Well you shouldn't have promised your friend's friend that you're going to introduce her to someone tomorrow night at the party. Then we wouldn't have this problem." She pointed out, rolling her eyes. "I know you meant well. I just wished you told me first. I'll do what I can. Yeah. I'll call you again later. Bye."

"Trouble in paradise?" Emily asked as she exited the bathroom and closed the door behind her, now in her cotton pajamas and the shirt Paige lent her last Saturday.

Spencer shook her head. "No. Just Connor unable to resist meddling in other people's business." She said, trying to figure out how to broach the subject of inviting her friend to a party tomorrow night. "You seem to be in a good mood." She observed. "Something good happen?"

"Just had a good day." Emily admitted as she sat on her bed. "Oh. Hey. Do you have any plans tomorrow night? I just got invited to a party at the AChiO sorority house and I'm thinking of going. Want to come?"

Spencer felt her jaw drop. "I was _just_ talking to Connor about that!" She exclaimed incredulously. "He invited me to go and he asked if maybe you'd like to go as well."

"Well considering I brought it up before you did, I think it's obvious I want to go." Emily pointed out.

"Who invited you?" Spencer asked, closing the magazine she was browsing.

"What?" Emily replied, trying to come up with a name. She mentally berated herself for not thinking ahead that her friend would pose that question.

"You said you just got invited. By whom?" Spencer repeated.

"Well it's a party for athletes." Emily began. "The entire swim team was invited by one of the AChiO sisters earlier today. Why does it matter?" She asked, starting to get worried.

"Connor wanted you to come because he wanted to introduce you to someone. I was just checking to see if you're going there with a date." Spencer explained.

"I'm not. But I don't want to meet anyone at the party. I don't want to have to make small talk." Emily added.

"Just meet the girl. Please? Then find a way to blow her off or something if you're really not interested. Connor won't stop bugging me about it. And honestly, you're doing this for me." Spencer admitted. "But I mean, what's the harm, really? It's not like you're seeing anyone. Right?"

"Right." Emily repeated. Technically she isn't. She told Paige they're free to see other people anyway. "Yeah. Okay."

"Great! I'll tell Connor you're in!" Spencer said, starting to dial her boyfriend's number.

Emily looked down on the shirt she was wearing, tuning out Spencer's conversation with her boyfriend as she contemplated what to tell Paige tomorrow.

* * *

"What time's your first class?" Emily asked breathlessly as Paige's lips began making their way to the crook of her neck.

"Not until one thirty." Paige answered before capturing Emily's lips on hers again, their lips meeting and parting hungrily like the past three days that they've been sneaking around didn't happen.

Last night when she came over for dinner, Emily finally managed to set the ground rules. And rule number one was that Paige would never wait for her outside of her classes unless there's an emergency or a life and death situation of some sort. Emily agreed to have lunch with Paige as often as she can so long as she goes to the girl's apartment and that they leave separately, unless, of course, there's an emergency or a life and death situation of some sort. That rule was effective starting today. After her last class, Emily immediately took the bus to Paige's apartment where the girl was waiting for her with boxes of takeout and a gorgeous smile on her lips. And after finishing their lunch, they went straight for dessert.

"Do you have to be somewhere else?" Paige asked as she slowed down their kisses and stared at the girl lying underneath her on the couch.

"No. Just asking." Emily said, touching a lock of hair that made its way to Paige's eyes. She tucked the strand of hair behind the girl's ear, glad that she's finally able to do something she's been longing to.

"So are you coming to the party tonight?" Paige asked, kissing Emily's wrist briefly as the girl continued to play with her hair.

Emily shook her head. "No." She lied, wanting to see what Paige is going to do about it.

"What? Why?" Paige asked, frowning. "Come on. I want to see you there." She said, bringing her lips to the crook of Emily's neck and beginning to kiss it, telling herself not to leave another mark as the ones she did are still healing. She began trailing wet kisses from Emily's neck to her jawline, to the corner of her mouth. Kissing the girl's cheek softly before bringing her lips to Emily's ear. "Please?" She whispered, kissing Emily's earlobe playfully, making the girl laugh.

Emily was about to answer but Paige wasn't done. "Please? Please? Please?" She begged, kissing Emily on the lips each time she said the word.

"Fine! I'm going! I'm going!" Emily blurted out, laughing with the girl. "I really decided to go with Spencer last night. I just wanted to see how much begging you're willing to do to get me to come." She admitted.

Paige laughed. "God you're such a tease!" She exclaimed, moving to kiss the girl again but Emily pulled away. "What?" She asked when she saw the girl's expression turn serious.

"I'm not a tease." Emily said quietly, getting up into a sitting position and running a hand through her hair. She focused on trying to fix her clothes as she fought to hide her embarrassment at being called a flirt by Paige.

"What? I was just kidding." Paige said, wondering why Emily looked hurt. "It was a joke. I didn't mean it to sound as something negative." She explained, trying to tuck a strand of hair behind Emily's ear but the girl pulled away. "Em..."

"Then what did you mean?" Emily asked, unable to meet Paige's eyes.

"When I said you were a tease? I meant you led me to believe that you're not coming to the party when you really were." Paige clarified. "That's it."

"I didn't lead you on." Emily argued.

Paige let out a short laugh. "Uh, _yes you did_. But in a good way. Not in a deceitful way." She added hurriedly when she realized Emily was starting to get annoyed. "Em, you were just showing affection and being sweet. You played me but it's not something bad. I would've done the same thing if I wanted you to convince me to come to something just to see how bad you want me to be there."

Emily still felt embarrassed but now it's for a completely different reason. She finally understood Paige's comment. It's just that she never had to do that with Jai. Whenever she told her girlfriend she wanted her to come to something, Jai didn't need her arm to be twisted. She always said yes straightaway. So she did the same thing when Jai asks her to come to social gatherings and family reunions with her. There was no need to play games. But the same thing can't be said when it came to Paige. She really wanted to know just how much Paige wanted to see her tonight because she wanted to make sure that the girl wasn't playing with her.

"I'm sorry." Paige said, bringing Emily out of her reverie. She moved closer to the girl to see if Emily was going to still pull away from her, feeling relieved when the girl didn't when she took her hand. "I want to see you there tonight. Are you still going?" She asked, looking at Emily anxiously.

Emily stared at Paige then at their hands, unable to answer the girl's question.

* * *

Paige entered the AChiO house on Tuesday night, the knots in her stomach wound so tight she thought it was going to snap. Emily never answered her question so she didn't know if the girl was going to show up tonight. She pulled closer the leather jacket she was wearing over her shirt, smiling at random people as she made her way around the room.

"Billie!" Paige called out when she saw Reese's girlfriend. She made her way over to the tanned beauty, relieved that she found at least one person she knew. "Hey!" She said in greeting, giving the girl a warm smile. She looked around the room, still trying to look for any sign of Emily.

"If you're looking for Reese she's in the den in the middle of a game of truth or dare." Billie said, nodding her head towards the direction of the spacious room where a crowd has gathered.

"Thanks but I'm not really looking for Reese." Paige admitted, placing her hands inside the front pockets of her jeans.

"That's surprising. Considering the two of you seem inseparable these days." Billie commented.

"Well not tonight. Tonight Reese is all yours." Paige said lightly.

"Am I supposed to be grateful?" Billie muttered, glancing around the room impatiently. "If my girlfriend isn't busy coming to your aid all the time she's playing a game with a bunch of people. I don't even know why she invited me to come in the first place." She complained. "Do me a favor and tell her I went home. I have an early class tomorrow." She said, leaving the house before Paige could hold her back.

_What the heck just happened?_ Paige asked herself as she stared at Billie's retreating form. Seems like Reese's relationship is in more trouble than the girl was letting on. She decided to make her way to the den to tell Reese that her girlfriend just bolted, all the while on the lookout for Emily. When she finally reached the room, she stood near the staircase leading to the bedrooms upstairs, leaning against the wooden panel of the archway as she studied the group of people seated in a circle in the middle of the room. Reese was nowhere to be found. Her pulse raced when she suddenly saw Emily seated in the circle, the girl's hair combed to one side and her lips glossy. The girl was wearing skinny jeans, a plain gray shirt that showed off her curves and a colorful scarf around her neck, most likely to hide the hickeys. Paige couldn't take her eyes off Emily. She forced her expression to remain neutral, aware that the girl would get mad at her if she saw her smiling.

Emily looked up when she felt someone's eyes on her, her stomach fluttering when her gaze met Paige's from across the room. She tried to look away, but she couldn't take her eyes off Paige. She knew what the girl was trying to tell her. That she's glad Emily showed up and that she wanted to be alone with her. _Now_. Emily's elation over seeing Paige was replaced by mild panic when she heard Reese's voice, reminding her that the girl was sitting with her in the circle.

"Truth or dare." Reese repeated, giving Emily a mischievous grin. She saw the girl staring behind her and she knew, without having to turn around, that Paige just arrived and was currently staring at Emily.

Emily bit her bottom lip, contemplating her answer. "Um, dare." She finally replied, managing to tear her eyes away from Paige to look at Reese.

When she arrived with Connor and Spencer earlier, she was expecting to surprise Paige but the girl was nowhere to be found. She thought Paige decided not to come to the party, thinking Emily wasn't coming after all, and she felt disappointed. She was on her way out to find Spencer and Connor and tell them she's heading home when Reese grabbed her by the arm and announced to the room that she found the last player for the truth or dare game, muttering under her breath, just loud enough for Emily to hear, that the girl owed her and that Paige isn't there yet but she's coming. Emily said she didn't come for Paige but Reese just dragged her towards the den, saying something about taking acting lessons because she's not fooling Reese. And now she's playing a game with a bunch of people she didn't know, just waiting for Paige to arrive. And when the girl did, of course it was her turn and Reese was the one she got to ask her the question.

Reese smirked. "Okay. I dare you to tell the truth then. Who do you have the hots for in this room?" She asked smugly.

Emily rolled her eyes at Reese's lame attempt to ask her a truth question before looking around the crowded room, her eyes immediately meeting Paige's again. The girl hasn't taken her eyes off her ever since she set foot inside the room and while Emily felt a little self-conscious, she couldn't deny that she liked the attention. There was something about the way Paige was staring at her. Like she wanted Emily to know that she's interested and she wasn't trying to hide it. Right now Paige's stare was one of daring. Silently asking Emily to answer the question Reese posed.

"No one. I can't find anyone interesting enough in this room." Emily answered, not taking her eyes off Paige.

Emily saw the smirk the girl gave her when Paige heard her answer, knowing Emily was flat-out lying. She felt exposed. Paige knew how attracted she is to her and that made the girl confident and a little arrogant. She didn't like that Paige had this effect on her.

"That is such a copout not to mention an extremely boring answer. There are lots of guys and girls in this room. Are you telling us you don't find _anyone_ appealing at all?" Reese asked dubiously.

Emily averted her eyes from Paige and smiled at the attractive junior apologetically. "What can I say? The kind of girl I like isn't in this room." She replied, her eyes gravitating towards Paige again.

Paige smirked before finally moving from her position near the doorway, subtly nodding her head towards the direction of one of the bedrooms upstairs.

Emily swallowed hard and inconspicuously shook her head, refusing to go with Paige. She knew what would happen once they were alone but Paige wasn't taking 'no' for an answer. The girl threw Emily a challenging look before turning her back and heading upstairs.

_You don't have to follow her. Just stay here and let her sit in that room by herself_. Emily tried to go back to pretending she was enjoying the game but she found herself growing restless, her mind already inside that room with Paige. The whole reason she stuck around anyway was to wait for the girl to arrive. Now that Paige is here...

Cursing inwardly, Emily hastily stood up. "I'm out." She said without any explanation to the people she was playing the truth or dare game with and hurriedly crossed the room to follow Paige upstairs. She didn't care if Reese just threw her a knowing look. She just wanted to kiss Paige again.

* * *

Emily knocked on another bedroom door, the fifth one since she made her way upstairs. She could've sworn Paige was just a few seconds away from her but she can't find the girl anywhere. _I swear if she isn't inside this one I'm going back downstairs_.

"Paige?" Emily whispered when she opened the door of the last bedroom, starting to get frustrated. She entered the room and closed the door behind her. "Paige?" She called out again.

"Don't make any sudden movements." Paige whispered from behind her, making Emily jump in surprise.

Turning around, Emily moved to hit Paige on the arm. "Don't do that!" She scolded the girl. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Ow!" Paige exclaimed, rubbing her arm. "You still hit like a girl." She said while using her other hand to grab Emily by the waist. "What took you so long?" She asked, pouting playfully.

"It's not like you left a trail of breadcrumbs or hung up a flashing sign that said this way to Paige McCullers." Emily shot back, staring into the girl's eyes.

"Aww. Did you just make a joke?" Paige said teasingly, her heart racing. She couldn't believe she was alone in a dark room with Emily. She tried to pull the girl closer to her but Emily struggled, refusing to move. "What?"

"You're cocky. And so arrogant." Emily said, pulling away from the girl.

"What?" Paige asked, confused.

"Downstairs. You kept smirking when you heard my answer." Emily explained, walking a few steps inside the room.

"I was amused. You _were_ lying in a game of truth or dare." Paige pointed out as she followed Emily.

"And you're taking pleasure in knowing that I'm attracted to you." Emily continued, studying the room.

Paige walked over to the girl, standing in front of Emily. "Well you are, aren't you?" She asked, trying to catch the girl's eyes.

"You don't have to be so arrogant about it. You're making me feel like I'm just one of the girls you see casually." Emily said, still refusing to look into Paige's eyes.

"They weren't that many. And you're not one of them." Paige promised. When Emily still looked hurt, Paige touched the girl's chin, forcing Emily to look at her. "Em, I'm not playing you. I really like you. I guess I just like knowing that you feel the same way about me. I'm not trying to be arrogant and I don't want you to feel like I don't care."

"You're frustrating." Emily said quietly as she stared into Paige's eyes.

Paige smiled. "You're frustrating too." She said before kissing Emily lightly.

"You locked the door right?" Emily asked, looking behind her.

"No. Where's the fun in that?" Paige replied, making Emily face her in disbelief.

"Paige!" Emily exclaimed, starting to panic.

"Kidding. Of course I locked the door. Now come here, you." Paige said, grabbing Emily by the waist and firmly pulling the girl towards her, smiling when Emily didn't protest this time. "You look insanely gorgeous by the way." She whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind Emily's ear as she stared into the girl's eyes. "I can't take my eyes off you."

"I noticed." Emily managed to say, aware that her pulse was racing. She wrapped her arms around Paige's neck, caressing with her thumb the girl's smooth skin. The way Paige calls her beautiful made her knees weak.

"Huh." Paige uttered, her arms tightening around Emily's waist.

"What?" Emily asked.

"You _do_ know you just admitted that you've been checking me out too." Paige pointed out, amused.

"Might've noticed you a little bit. Thought of wanting to kiss you when I saw you." Emily said teasingly.

"So why are we still talking?" Paige asked, leaning forward before Emily could answer and capturing the girl's lips on hers.

Emily slowly pushed Paige towards the bed, the girl stopping when the back of her legs hit the edge. Paige sat down, pulling Emily with her and the girl ended up on her lap, straddling her. Emily leaned her body closer to Paige, her hand cupping the girl's cheek as she deepened the kiss, her other hand resting on Paige's neck, pulling the girl closer to her.

Paige parted her lips, welcoming Emily's tongue as her hand held the girl by the waist, her other hand resting on the girl's thigh. She slowly let her other hand travel upwards, from the girl's thigh to her waist, wanting to feel Emily's smooth skin on her palm. She rested her hand on the hem of Emily's shirt, lifting it ever so slightly, her heart hammering. She let her thumb graze a small portion of the girl's skin, just the side of her stomach, and felt Emily tense when she let her thumb brush it again.

"Paige..." Emily whispered, moving her hand from Paige's neck to stop the girl's hand from lifting her top.

Paige took Emily's hand and intertwined it with hers, aware that Emily told her to stop. She began kissing Emily's neck, her lips traveling to Emily's cheek then to her ear. "It's okay. I heard you." She whispered reassuringly before kissing Emily on the lips again, trying to keep her hormones in check.

Emily nodded, parting her lips when suddenly; there was a knock on the door. She stopped, panicked.

"It's fine. I locked it." Paige whispered, eager to continue kissing Emily but the girl's attention was on the door.

"Em!" Spencer's voice came from the other side as the girl knocked again.

Emily's eyes widened and she looked at Paige. "What are you doing?!" She asked in a low voice when Paige moved to get up, grabbing her hand as she led the way to the door.

Paige placed a finger on her lips. "I'll handle this." She promised before cracking the door open, Emily choosing to stand behind it. "What do you want?!" She asked Spencer impatiently.

"Paige? What are you doing inside with Emily?" Spencer asked, confused.

"What?" Paige said, giving the girl a bewildered look. "Why the hell would I go inside a room with Emily? I don't know where your friend is." She replied, adding a tinge of annoyance in her voice.

"Don't think you can fool me. I saw Emily get inside this room." Spencer insisted. "Em, come on. Come out here. Faye is going to arrive soon."

"Faye?" Paige repeated, glancing at Emily subtly.

"Yeah. Connor set up Em with a girl tonight." Spencer explained impatiently.

"Well she's not here. How many shots of tequila have you consumed?" Paige asked when she smelled the alcohol on Spencer's breath, an idea starting to form in her head.

"I'm not drunk!" Spencer exclaimed indignantly.

"And I'm straight." Paige retorted. "How can you be sure which room Emily went inside? Even the bathroom has the same door as this one. I'm busy. Go away! Find someone else to bother." She ordered, moving to close the door.

"I know Em's inside." Spencer insisted.

"Sorry. Wrong door. Try the bathroom. Bye now!" Paige said, shutting the door on the girl's face. She leaned her head against it, trying to listen. "Close call." She finally said when she was sure that Spencer was gone, smiling at Emily faintly. "Where were we?" She asked, moving to kiss Emily again but the girl pulled away.

"I should leave. Spencer's looking for me and she won't stop until she does." Emily explained, trying to fix her shirt before running a hand through her hair wearily.

"Okay." Paige said, fixing the scarf the girl was wearing just to have an excuse to touch her. "Em?"

"Yeah." Emily replied, looking at Paige.

"Faye. Is she the real reason why you came to this party?" Paige asked softly.

Emily shook her head. "I told Spencer I wanted to go to the party. Not the other way around. I was going to come even before she told me about Connor's attempt to set me up with someone tonight. I came to this party just to see you." She said, tucking a strand of hair away from Paige's eyes.

Paige grinned widely. "Then let Spencer look around." She pleaded. "I want to be alone with you."

"I can't." Emily said apologetically. She moved to kiss Paige on the cheek. "Goodnight." She whispered before opening the door and leaving.

Paige sighed as she stared at the closed door. She knew she had to wait for a few minutes just to make sure no one would notice she and Emily came from the same room. She reluctantly headed back to the bed and lied face down, closing her eyes and groaning in frustration.

* * *

The next day, Paige, still fresh from a morning run, made her way to the Sheerr Pool, eager to see Emily. She knew it was against the ground rules but she couldn't wait for lunch or dinner to talk to the girl. The entire time she was running around campus her mind was on Emily and Faye. Whoever she was. She wanted to ask Emily if Spencer gave her a hard time last night and find out what happened with the girl her friend introduced to her. She pulled the door open when she reached the pool area and looked around the room, suddenly missing being able to compete in swimming competitions when her eyes drifted to the Olympic-sized pool.

_No one's around. Emily's probably still in the locker room_. Maybe she can offer to walk with the girl to her class while they talk. Not _walk_ _her_ to class. _Walk with_ _her_. There's a big difference. She knew Emily wasn't keen on letting people see them together all the time but maybe just this once Emily won't mind. She made her way to the bleachers and sat on the bottom row to wait for Emily to come out, glancing at her watch to check the time.

"My, my. If it isn't leech." Paige looked up when she heard that word said with such disdain. It's been a long time since someone called her that and there was only one girl who did. Well at least in her face. Cesca Thomas. She stood up, unable to believe that someone from her past was really here in UPenn. Short, curly brown hair; smooth, chocolate skin, and a face that could be in the cover of a fashion magazine.

"Cesca. I thought I recognized you a couple of weeks ago." Paige said, trying to act indifferent.

"My dad told me you were going here. Small world." Cesca replied. "I heard what happened to Jazz. Wasn't able to make it to her funeral since I was in Madrid at the time but I called Logan and Kayla to offer my condolences." She said when she was standing in front of the girl. "I knew it was a bad idea for Jazz to leave Philly but she wouldn't listen. And now she's dead. All because she chose to follow you to Rosewood. You just keep bringing grief to people's lives, don't you?"

"I didn't know Jai was going to switch schools and follow me." Paige responded, refusing to let the girl get to her. She was feeling guilty enough as it is.

Cesca scoffed. "Oh come on, leech. _Everyone_ knows Jazz would gladly take a bullet for you. Just look at the lengths she went to. The lengths she made us go to. Just to cover up what you did so you won't get in trouble." She pointed out.

"What do you mean?" Paige asked, staring at Cesca in confusion. "You weren't there. How would you know?"

Cesca narrowed her eyes, gauging the girl's answer. "Oh my god. Jazz _never_ told you." She said in surprise when she saw Paige's reaction. "All these years and she never told you."

"Told me what?" Paige said, fighting to control her temper. _What was Jai keeping from me?_

"So who did you attach yourself to this time, leech?" Cesca asked, ignoring Paige's question.

Paige looked past Cesca when she heard the door to the locker room swing open and felt her stomach drop when she saw Emily walk out. This wasn't a good time for the girl to see this but Paige saw Emily's bewilderment as she approached them.

"Paige. What are you doing here?" Emily asked, trying to keep her expression neutral as she tried to figure out what's going on.

Cesca laughed dryly. "Of course it would make sense for you to attach yourself to one of UPenn's star swimmers." She said, her attention still focused on Paige.

"It's not like that. Emily and I went to the same school. She's Jai's girlfriend." Paige explained defensively. "I knew her before we went here."

"Well at least you didn't ruin that for Jazz. Glad to hear something good happened to her when she left Philly for you." Cesca commented. "Are you friends with leech?" She asked Emily.

"You mean Paige? Yeah. I am. Is there a problem?" Emily asked, wondering why her teammate seemed to loathe the girl.

"Not yet. But I suggest running for the hills. Paige destroys everything she touches. I should know. She ruined my life." Cesca said bitterly before walking away.

"Care to explain why my teammate seems to hate you?" Emily asked when they were alone.

"Not really. No." Paige replied. She should've just stuck to Emily's ground rules. Maybe this wouldn't have happened.

"Paige. Come on. You can't expect me to just forget about this. She's my friend and this is the first time I've seen her mad." Emily pointed out.

"Cesca and I never really got along in Girard." Paige lied. "I guess she's still holding a grudge against me."

"Because Jai left Philly and moved to Rosewood for you?" Emily asked. That seemed like a weird reason. She didn't really know the story of how her girlfriend came to live in Rosewood. All Jai told her was that her family moved from Philly to the same town where her best friend happened to live. "Is that... I mean... why did you leave Girard anyway?"

"My dad wanted me to study somewhere closer to home that's why I transferred to Rosewood High." Paige answered.

"And Jai?" Emily continued.

"I was surprised to see Jai on my first day of school. She kept the move a secret from me." Paige admitted, her mind back to the moment she saw Jai standing next to her.

"So it's true then. Jai really left Girard and Philly for you?" Emily asked.

"I didn't know Jai would follow me. I didn't want for any of this to happen." Paige insisted, feeling like Emily was taking Cesca's side.

"I'm just asking, Paige. No need to get defensive." Emily said, wondering why Paige seemed so upset right now.

"Sorry." Paige muttered, avoiding Emily's eyes.

"Mind telling me why Cesca's calling you 'leech'?" Emily asked, trying to make Paige look at her.

Paige shrugged. "Just kids name-calling. You know how it is. Some people never grow up. I mean, up until a few months ago I was calling you Sniffles. Right?" She said, wishing Emily would just drop it.

"Right." Emily repeated, wondering why Paige was lying to her. "Well what are you doing here?" She asked instead, deciding to change the subject.

"I just wanted to check up on you after that party last night." Paige admitted. "Did Spencer introduce you to the girl?"

"You couldn't wait until later to ask me that?" Emily said disbelievingly. "Yeah. She and Connor did." She answered as she fixed the strap of her duffel bag.

"Anyone I know?" Paige asked hesitantly.

Emily shook her head. "No." She lied. "If that's all I have to go. I'm going to be late for my Econ10 class." She explained, feeling like the atmosphere between them just changed.

"I can walk with you." Paige offered.

"Why? Are you going to tell me about your life in Girard? Or are you going to keep asking me about Faye?" Emily asked, frustrated. "Because I think neither of us wants to talk about those things right now. I'll just see you later." She said before walking away.

Paige stared after the girl worriedly as she stood frozen in place. Just like that it felt like she was about to lose Emily. She really should've just stuck to the ground rules. Now Emily was slipping away and her past was creeping up on her.

* * *

_Eight years ago..._

"I don't know about this. Maybe it's not such a good idea." Paige said, avoiding the puddles on the ground while trying to catch up to Jai as they made their way past the playground and headed to a pathway hidden behind some bushes, careful not to soil her uniform.

"Trust me. It's a great idea. These girls are my friends and I want you to be friends with them too." Jai insisted, stopping to wait for Paige. "Come on." She urged, leading the way inside a wooden lodge.

Paige timidly stepped inside, the heat coming from the fireplace instantly warming her up. It was a welcome relief to the heavy rain and cold weather outside and she felt some sensation return to her hands. She looked around the room, feeling self-conscious as seven pairs of eyes studied her.

"These are my friends." Jai said, grabbing Paige's hand as they walked further inside the room. "Everyone, I want all of you to meet my roommate and friend, Paige McCullers. Paige, this is..."

Paige nodded her head and smiled politely as Jai introduced all of the girls but only one name registered to her.

"And last but not the least, Cesca Thomas. Ria's new roommate." Jai revealed. "Speaking of. Where's Ria?" She asked the group, looking around the room.

"Running late as usual. But she'll be here." Cesca promised. "So you're Ria's former roommate. Well she wasn't lying." She said, moving closer to Paige. "You _are_ gorgeous. Kinda understand why she was bummed to part ways with you. Welcome to the group. Any friend of Jazz is a friend of ours." She declared, extending a hand with a warm smile on her face.

"Thanks." Paige replied, smiling as she shook Cesca's hand.

"Sorry I'm late." A voice from the door said in greeting. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing much. We just had the pleasure of finally meeting your former roommate." Cesca revealed, stepping aside so Ria could see the girl.

Ria stopped wiping the water droplets from her skin and looked up in surprise. "Paige." She uttered, looking around the room as she approached the girl. "Uh, what are you doing here?" She asked anxiously.

"Hey." Paige said, waving her hand awkwardly. "Jai thought it was a good idea for me to meet her friends. Which obviously included you."

"You did." Ria said, looking at Jai in confusion. "Jazz..."

"I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. This way is better. Trust me." Jai promised.

"Then welcome to the group I guess." Ria said, giving Paige an incredible smile.

"Thanks." Paige said, smiling enthusiastically at the girl.

"Ria I am going to steal this former roommate of yours for the rest of lunch break." Cesca stated, grabbing Paige's hand. "Come on. Let's sit together. I want to know _everything_ about you." She said as she led the way to one of the couches. "I can see it now. You, Jazz, Ria and me, the four musketeers..."

* * *

_Present Day..._

"You know, I think the owners of this café should consider making us partners." Reese said mock seriously as she sat on the loveseat with a cup of coffee, handing Paige a bottle of apple juice. "We are here practically everyday, even the regulars fail in comparison to us."

Paige wordlessly grabbed the bottle, her eyes never leaving the girl who was currently going about her job around the room. She and Emily made plans to have dinner tonight so she's waiting for the girl's shift to end. Lunch was spent mostly in silence. She knew Emily's mind was still on what happened earlier and she appreciated that Emily wasn't asking her questions about it. But because the girl was preoccupied, all they did was eat lunch. She was planning on changing that tonight.

"Newbie, she said no to dating you. Why are you still lingering here? You should be out going to clubs, trying to meet other girls. There _are_ other girls out there. You know?" Reese reminded the girl before taking a sip of her coffee.

"I don't care. I only want her." Paige admitted, looking down and staring at the bottle of juice in her hand miserably.

"Apparently so does she." Reese suddenly said, making Paige look up.

The two of them watched as the girl Emily spilled coffee on entered the café, heading straight for Emily with a smile on her lips. Emily glanced at the girl and nodded her head, acknowledging the girl and telling her she'll be with her in a sec.

"What's going on?" Paige asked Reese, trying to catch Emily's eyes but the girl didn't even look at her.

"I don't know but I strongly suggest not doing anything rash. They're probably just going to talk." Reese said when she saw Paige's reaction. "You and Emily are just friends." She reminded the girl. "Paige sit down!" Reese whispered urgently, trying to grab Paige's hand but the girl was stubborn.

Paige slowly made her way towards the counter when she saw Emily stop in front of the girl and the two began to talk, increasing her pace when she saw the girl try to hold Emily's hand and saw Emily pull it away.

"Is there a problem?" Paige asked when she was standing next to the girl.

"No." Emily answered, staring hard at Paige to tell her to stay out of it but the girl wouldn't take the hint.

"Rude much? We're having a conversation here. Who are you? Emily's girlfriend?!" The girl asked, studying Paige up and down.

"No. She's not." Emily answered, her eyes on Paige. "She's not my girlfriend." She repeated.

Paige felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment when she remembered her place. "Sorry. I just thought... I'm sorry." She repeated, turning around to head back to Reese.

"Not your finest moment, newbie. Let's go." Reese said quietly, handing the girl her duffel bag.

Paige grabbed it wordlessly and followed Reese out, wishing the earth would swallow her whole right now as she averted her eyes from the handful of customers inside the café. She was beyond embarrassed by what she just pulled even if no one was probably paying any attention. Emily is going to kill her for sure.

"Hey. Can I talk to her for a sec?" Emily asked once she caught up to Reese and Paige before the two girls could head inside Harrison.

Reese nodded. "Come find me when you're done." She told Paige, giving the girl a pat on the shoulder. "Don't be too hard on her." She asked Emily before walking away.

"This way." Emily said, leading the way towards a spot beside the café that was hidden from view.

Paige followed wordlessly, biting her bottom lip as she steeled herself for the lecture.

"What the hell was that?" Emily asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Sorry." Paige repeated.

"Paige, we're not exclusive. You can't act like a jealous girlfriend everytime a girl comes up to me especially when you're not. Jai didn't even act like one when we were together." Emily pointed out.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just thought she was harassing you again." Paige explained.

"She's not. But even if she was, I can take care of myself." Emily reminded the girl.

"Then what did she want?" Paige asked, finally meeting Emily's eyes.

"She's Faye." Emily confessed.

"The girl Connor and Spencer introduced to you? You said I didn't know her!" Paige exclaimed accusingly.

"Well based on what you did back there can you really blame me for not telling you?" Emily asked wryly. "I wasn't going on a date with her. I was going to tell her that I'm not interested once and for all."

"Oh. I'm really sorry." Paige said, feeling her cheeks flush in embarrassment.

Emily sighed. "I thought you promised you won't give me a hard time?" She asked warily.

"I did. And I mean it. I'm trying." Paige promised. "Are we still on for dinner tonight? I'll make it up to you."

"I don't know. I have some reading to do." Emily replied, not really in the mood to be with Paige tonight.

"Then bring your books over. We can study together. I'll be on my best behavior." Paige added, raising her right hand to swear.

"Okay." Emily finally said.

"Okay?" Paige repeated.

"Yeah. But don't wait for me here. I'll just come over to your place." Emily said before walking past Paige.

Paige bit her bottom lip anxiously. She was screwing up big time lately. She had to find a way to fix things or she's going to lose the girl.

* * *

Later that night, Emily found herself distracted as she sat on Paige's couch, struggling to keep her legs from bouncing as she tried to focus on the book she was reading but her mind kept reliving the scene Paige caused earlier at the café. The past few days sneaking around with Paige have been amazing when they were alone. But outside of these four walls, when they were around other people... it wasn't working.

Paige was impulsive. And while a part of Emily liked it, a bigger part of her was scared that their secret would come out because of it. It was also obvious that Paige had a past that seemed taboo because even her girlfriend refused to talk about it when she was still alive.

_And that thing with Cesca earlier. What did she mean when she said Paige ruined her life?_

Emily had to admit, it still felt weird. Being around Paige. Yeah they've hung out lots of times but back then she was trying to hide her attraction for the girl because she thought Paige would make fun of her if she found out. And that Paige will probably never feel the same way about her. So yeah. It still felt weird that she and Paige decided to try and be something. Now she was seriously considering backing out. Maybe agreeing to what Paige wanted was a mistake.

Yeah she was attracted but she still had misgivings about the girl. It's _Paige_. There were a lot of reasons why she wanted to back out. For one, she's Jai's best friend and somehow it felt wrong to feel this way about Paige even if Jai's dead. Then there's the fact that a part of her still saw Paige as the girl who made fun of her in high school and made it her personal mission in life to get on Emily's nerves everytime. Who's to say Paige isn't making fun of her now? Playing with her feelings because in the end it would be such a laugh for the girl to tell anyone who would listen that Emily has the hots for her.

Emily felt sick. Maybe that's what Cesca meant. If that's what Paige is doing then it would really hurt. She suddenly felt uneasy. _Maybe I should go_. She thought, figuring out a way to make up some excuse about why she wanted to leave and never come back.

"They didn't have egg rolls so I got dumplings instead. I hope that's okay." Paige said as she got off the phone after ordering their dinner. She sat down beside Emily and faced the girl. "What do you suggest we do while we wait?" She asked, grinning mischievously. She really wanted to try and make it up to Emily.

"I don't know. Study?" Emily suggested, moving to put some distance between them.

"Or..." Paige trailed off, scooting closer to Emily with a playful look in her eyes.

"Study? I really need to study." Emily said, pulling away.

Paige furrowed her brows in confusion. "Em, are you okay?" She asked, studying the girl closely.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" She replied, not meeting Paige's eyes.

"Well you look constipated and about to hurl your lunch." Paige replied teasingly.

"Why are you always making fun of me?!" Emily exclaimed.

Paige stared at Emily in surprise. "Wha- I wasn't making fun of you. I was just trying to say that you don't look fine." She explained.

"Then just say it. You don't have to insult me everytime you open your mouth." Emily snapped.

"I'm sorry." Paige said sincerely. "I wasn't insulting you. I didn't mean anything bad by it." When Emily didn't say anything, she continued. "What's going on? Is this about Cesca? Because I told you. She and I never got along."

"Why? What did Cesca mean when she said you ruined her life? Was she one of the girls you strung along?" Emily asked accusingly.

"What? No. Cesca's straight. And I was never a player. Not now and certainly not when I was in Girard! I was a kid trying to make sense of being different. Of liking girls among other things. I was never a player. Why won't you believe me?" Paige asked, the frustration evident in her voice.

"You're not giving me reason to." Emily pointed out.

"Em, you've known me for years." Paige reminded the girl.

"I was _around_ you for years." Emily corrected. "I didn't know you. You refused to let me in. You were just Jai's best friend who treated me horribly for years..."

"And I've been trying to make up for it." Paige interjected. "I'm telling you the truth. I was never a player." She repeated firmly. "Yeah girls liked me. But so did Jai. And Jai's had more admirers."

"So now you're saying Jai's just like you?" Emily asked, looking at Paige incredulously.

"What? No. I'm saying Jai has had her share of admirers in the past but you didn't think she's a player." Paige explained.

"Because she wasn't." Emily pointed out. "Even if you say girls liked her, she still waited for the right girl to commit to. She didn't go around kissing random girls."

"Unlike me?" Paige said, hurt. "Well I'm sorry I wasn't as lucky as Jai when it came to love. It's not like I didn't try. But I'm trying now. With you."

"Paige..." Emily sighed. "I just think I made a mistake. Agreeing to this thing. I think I shouldn't have said yes. It's too soon." She admitted.

"Oh." Paige uttered softly. This wasn't how she wanted the night to go. They've barely started and Emily already wanted out. "Um, what did I do?"

"Why do you assume it's something you did?" Emily asked, giving Paige a curious look.

"Well you want out. That means I did something to make you think twice." Paige explained.

"You don't think there's something wrong with me?" Emily said, surprised. "Why I want out?"

Paige shook her head. "Not really. You said you're attracted to me. So that means you like me. So you wouldn't want out unless I did something to make you unlike me." She said matter-of-factly. "Which, now that I've thought about it… is probably everything I've done in the past three days."

"I still like you." Emily admitted.

"But you're not sure if I like you." Paige guessed.

"It's not like I have no basis for it. For years you kept making fun of me every chance you get. Who's to say you're not making fun of me now?" Emily asked quietly.

"I'm not. I don't know how to convince you that I genuinely like you. If you won't believe anything I say I can keep going in circles until I'm blue in the face but in the end if you're convinced that I'm just messing with you I can't do anything about it." Paige said, her voice hoarse.

"So what are you trying to say?" Emily asked despite knowing the answer.

"I'm saying if you want out, okay. Let's stop this before things get more intense. It's obvious that you don't trust me, Em. And I really can't blame you." Paige said, smiling faintly. "I don't want you to force yourself to be with me because you think it's the only way we can spend time together. I don't want you to sit beside me with one foot out of the door. So if you want to end this it's fine."

"Really?" Emily said, not knowing whether to feel relieved or disappointed that Paige didn't even try to convince her otherwise.

"Yeah." Paige answered, nodding her head.

"I'm sorry." Emily uttered sincerely.

"It's okay." Paige said, forcing herself to smile, hoping her disappointment wasn't showing. "Let's just study until the food arrives then I'll drive you back to Harrison." She offered, turning to face the coffee table cluttered with books.

"Yeah. Okay." Emily agreed, going back to reading her Econ10 book.

Paige stared sadly at Emily for a second before grabbing her book in Sociology to start her reading as well. She jumped up when Emily turned the page of the book the girl was reading and accidentally brushed her skin against Paige's.

"What's the matter?" Emily asked, looking up at Paige worriedly.

Paige tried to control the racing of her pulse. "I, uh, forgot something in my room." She lied, swallowing hard as she forced herself to forget the feel of Emily's skin against hers just now. "I'll go get it." She said hoarsely, turning her back to Emily before the girl saw the devastation written all over her face.


	17. sic infit : chapter vii

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

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_**Thanks for the reviews/comments/reactions about the story guys! They never fail to make me smile.**_

_**Just a reminder… the title of this fic means PLACEHOLDER or SUBSTITUTE. I know some of you are upset with what's happening but please trust where I'm taking this story. This is PAILY AU after all. LOL. The journey of these characters is just beginning. I've said this before but just in case some of you forgot… this fic is going to be made up of FIVE parts. And we're only halfway through part TWO. Please be patient. : )**_

_**EyeOpener16, hellolittlebirdie, StagHen and sampledbeats... Thanks for the PM.**_

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**PART TWO: "Sic Infit"**

_~ So it begins. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Emily made her way inside the building on 3730 Walnut Street on a Thursday morning, taking the steps two at a time since she was in a hurry to sign up for the seminar in the field of Brand Management that the MUSE (Marketing Undergraduate Students Establishment) Penn organization was sponsoring next week. She almost forgot about the activity that her MGMT100 professor told them of last Thursday in class. She wasn't exactly paying attention to the lecture since she was busy trying not to look at Paige who was seated in the front row at the time.

That was the story of her life last week. The past few days she had been busy either avoiding or sneaking around with Paige that she almost forgot about the seminar. Now she hoped she wasn't too late to sign up for it. Emily felt nervous as she made her way to the long table at the far end corner of the building. She was a lone freshman on her way to a table crowded with upperclassmen. She had to appear confident. And be charming.

"Hi." Emily said in greeting once she was standing near enough the table filled with members of the organization. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just wondering if this is where I could sign up for the seminar on Brand Management 101 next week?" She asked, not speaking to anyone in particular as she addressed the entire group.

"What's your name?" A blonde guy sporting a preppy look finally replied, getting up from his spot on the long bench to make his way over to Emily.

"Emily Fields." Emily revealed, fighting the urge to start fidgeting. "Can I still attend the seminar or is it too late to sign up?" She asked, giving the guy what she hoped was an optimistic smile.

"There's still a few slots left." The guy admitted, reaching for a white sheet of paper from the girl sitting near the end of the table before stopping in front of Emily. "Sign your name here." He instructed, handing Emily the paper and a pen. "I take it you're enrolled in Wharton?"

Emily nodded. "I'm a freshman planning to take up Marketing as my concentration." She said, taking the piece of paper and pen. She looked around and finally decided to use the books she was carrying as a makeshift solid surface to write on.

"I figured. My name's Zach and I'm the membership committee head of MUSE Penn. Maybe I can interest you in joining our organization next semester? We sure could use a pretty face around here. We are _the_ marketing organization on campus." Zach emphasized.

"I know." Emily answered while trying to fill in the signup sheet.

When she and Jai were planning their life in UPenn, they talked about joining two organizations after one semester of adjusting to life on campus. A social organization of their liking so they could be involved with the community and an academic organization in their respective chosen careers. For the social organization she planned on joining, Emily has her sights set on PennPals, a one-on-one community-based mentoring program and she knew of MUSE Penn even before she set foot in Philadelphia. It was _the_ organization to join if you're a marketing student and it was on the vision board that she made with Jai. Something that was now on the vision board Paige returned to her. Now that the fall semester is almost over, she had enough time adjusting to life on campus and next semester, if she wanted, she could join MUSE like she and Jai talked about. But right now she just wanted to sign up for the seminar since she still had a class to get to.

"Um, do you happen to have another pen I could use? This one doesn't seem to be working." Emily said, raising the pen to the guy timidly. Her pens were scattered inside her shoulder bag and it would take too much time to find one.

"Something tells me she's more than just a pretty face, Zach." A voice from behind her made Emily turn around and she found herself staring at an attractive girl with deep emerald eyes and wavy brown hair that stopped just below her shoulders. The girl held herself with such grace and confidence that Emily knew she was someone of importance in the organization.

"Here. Use mine." The girl offered, handing Emily a black pen and taking the one Zach gave her earlier.

"Thanks." Emily replied, giving the girl a grateful smile as she took the pen.

"So you're interested in the field of Brand Management." The girl said, stepping beside Emily. "I have to admit, we rarely find freshmen students who are interested in brand management seminars, Emily Fields." The girl continued when she saw Emily fill up the year and name part of the signup sheet.

"I'm curious as to how and why companies do it. I read an article a few weeks ago about this company that decided to rename their brand and then re-launched it to the public." Emily explained. "Then it got me thinking. How global companies come to this decision. I mean there's a risk. If you rename the brand you could lose your market. But they still do it. Why? There must be a substantial reason why companies decide to rename a brand that's been in the market for years and still expect the same market to purchase their products while adding new consumers to it. Sorry." She suddenly said when she realized that she's been rambling on and on and the girl was looking at her with mild amusement.

"Told you she's more than just a pretty face." The girl commented, addressing the guy still standing behind Emily with a knowing smile. "I don't think I've introduced myself. My name's Gary Chambers and I'm the president of MUSE." She said, extending a hand.

Emily shook it firmly. _I guess that explains the whole grace and confidence vibe I'm getting_. She thought, smiling at the girl. "Emily Fields, freshman student at Wharton." She said for lack of credentials to tell the girl.

"Nice to meet you Emily Fields." Gary said, releasing Emily's hand. "And I don't mind the rambling. I actually like your enthusiasm about this field of marketing." She admitted, taking the piece of paper and pen from Emily. She handed the signup sheet to Zach before returning her attention to the girl. "And you'll have the chance to ask your questions and find out more about it on Wednesday." She added, pocketing her pen.

"Wednesday?" Emily repeated, thinking she heard the girl wrong. "But I thought the seminar was on Tuesday night?"

Gary nodded. "Originally it was. But there's been a conflict on the side of the speakers so they pushed for the seminar to be conducted on Wednesday morning instead. Why? Is there a problem?" She asked, giving Emily a curious smile.

"No. No problem at all." Emily lied. It's not like the seminar's going to be rescheduled if she told them that she had to get home to Rosewood on Wednesday morning. "Just surprised. I was really looking forward to it on Tuesday night."

"Well if your Tuesday night just opened up maybe I could interest you in having coffee or dinner with me." Gary suggested without missing a beat. "We could talk more about brand management. You could pick my brain on the subject before the seminar on Wednesday."

"Um." Emily uttered, tempted to say yes. But she had a feeling the girl was really asking her out on a date and she didn't know what to say to that. Her hand instinctively touched the locket on her necklace. "Maybe some other time." She finally replied. "I might have to meet with my group in my MGMT100 class that night. Discuss some things for our project before Thanksgiving break." She lied.

"Oh. Yeah. I forgot freshmen students take that course in the fall semester. I was under Williams on that one and I literally counted the seconds for that course to end the second I step inside his class." Gary confessed.

"No way. I'm under him this sem." Emily revealed. "Thursday afternoons can't go by fast enough. It's like I'm in suspended animation when I'm inside his class." She said, laughing lightly with the girl.

"I know what you mean." Gary said in agreement, nodding her head understandingly. "But on the bright side it's going to be over soon so just hang in there." She advised. "I guess rain check on that coffee or dinner then."

Emily smiled faintly. "Uh, yeah." She replied, hoping the girl would forget it. It's not like their paths are going to cross again after the seminar. _Unless I join MUSE that is_. "I better go. I have a class in twenty." She explained, walking past the girl to head back the way she came.

"You never answered Zach's question." Gary called out, making Emily turn around to face her. "Can we interest you in joining MUSE next semester? I rarely do the grunt work since I'm the president but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make you say yes. I rarely take no for an answer."

"I'll think about it." Emily answered. _Not a yes, but not a no either_.

"That's all I'm asking." Gary heard Emily say as she bounded the steps and hurriedly made her way to her first class.

* * *

Paige turned another page of the book she was reading, using the remaining minutes she has before her MGMT100 class starts to catch up on the required reading for her Sociology class. She could've done the reading in her apartment earlier that day but she couldn't concentrate there so she decided to come to class early instead. She knew it was taking her longer than usual to do the reading considering it was only three chapters. But last night she couldn't exactly focus with Emily sitting next to her.

And then this morning, she had several free hours to read since she didn't have classes and she wasn't meeting Emily for lunch but she spent those hours thinking about the girl instead and how in a span of five days she managed to get and lose Emily. _Four days considering we didn't see each other on Sunday_. Paige thought miserably as she turned another page of the book.

"This seat taken?" Paige looked up and lost her grip on the yellow highlighter she was holding when she saw Emily standing above her.

Emily gracefully crouched to retrieve the marker from the floor, fighting to control her nervousness as she met Paige's eyes again. "Here." She offered, handing the object to the girl.

"Thanks." Paige replied, taking the highlighter while making a conscious effort not to touch Emily's fingers.

"So. Is this seat taken?" Emily repeated, glancing at the empty chair next to Paige where the girl deposited her messenger bag. When she entered the room and saw Paige sitting in their usual third row seats, Emily thought about sitting somewhere else but in the end, she gathered the courage to come up to the girl and ask if they can sit together.

"No. It's not." Paige answered once she got over her surprise, hurriedly removing her bag from the seat and placing it behind hers.

"What are you reading?" Emily asked once she was settled, trying to make conversation with the girl.

"Sociology. I meant the reading for my Sociology class." Paige clarified when she saw Emily's confused look.

"Isn't that what you were reading last night?" Emily reminded the girl.

Paige nodded. "It was. I just decided to read it again to pass the time." She lied. They stared at each other for a second before Paige averted her eyes, deciding to go back to her reading when it became obvious that they have nothing else to say to each other.

Emily studied Paige for a few more seconds before deciding to face forward in her seat. She looked around and saw that most of their classmates were talking to each other while waiting for their professor to arrive and she felt like she was sticking out like a sore thumb.

"So are you going to attend the seminar in brand management next week?" Emily asked, turning slightly in her seat to face Paige again. "'Cos I dropped by the MUSE's building this morning and they said they still have a few slots left if you're interested. They moved the seminar from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning so if you want to go it's no problem for you since you only have afternoon classes, right?" She pointed out, trying to seem cheerful.

"No thanks. Marketing isn't really my area of interest." Paige answered distractedly, not bothering to look at the girl as she highlighted a sentence in the book that seemed of utmost importance just now.

"Oh." Emily muttered, biting her bottom lip anxiously. "Well then what are you interested in?" She continued, choosing to ignore Paige's seemingly aloof attitude towards her.

"Right now? Just finishing this chapter before class starts." Paige replied, aware that she was practically highlighting the entire page by now but she didn't care. She couldn't bear to look at Emily.

Emily swallowed hard. "Got it. _Just shut up, Emily. Can't you see I'm busy?_" She said, doing an awful imitation of Paige. "Message received." She added before looking away.

Paige closed her eyes briefly, distressed. "Sorry. I'm just trying to get some reading done." She explained, finally looking at the girl.

Emily met Paige's gaze. "I suggest going easy on the highlighter then. That page is starting to look like a yellow pad from over here." She said wryly, trying to ease the awkward tension between them.

"Yeah well I never had coloring books growing up." Paige shot back, making Emily smile a little.

"I have a delivery for a Miss Emily Fields?" A deep voice from the door called out before Emily could respond to Paige's quip and she turned to face the door with the rest of her classmates, surprised.

"Is there a Miss Emily Fields in this class?" The middle-aged man asked and this time, the entire class started looking amongst themselves, wondering who would respond to the name.

"He's not going away. You better go down there to see what he's got for you." Paige suggested.

Emily reluctantly stood up, aware that everyone's eyes were trained on her as she made her way to the door. "I'm Emily Fields." She said when she was standing in front of the man.

"Sign here." The man instructed, handing Emily a clipboard with a sheet of paper tucked on it.

Emily did as she was told, all the while wondering what she was about to accept. She chose to remain standing inside the room rather than step outside and the man's other hand was concealed from her view. When she was done affixing her signature on the piece of paper, the man took the clipboard and produced from his other hand a bouquet of assorted flowers and handed them to Emily, making the girl's cheeks turn several shades of red.

_Oh my god_. "Uh, who are these from?" Emily asked as she accepted the bouquet, fully aware that her classmates have begun whispering excitedly behind her. _This is so embarrassing_.

"Check the card." The man replied before walking away.

Emily stood by the door for a second, torn between leaving the class and going back to her seat. When she saw her professor in the hallway nearing the room, she was left with no choice but to turn around, averting her eyes from her classmates as she made her way back to her seat.

Paige hurriedly looked away and pretended she was still engrossed in reading her book when she saw Emily make her way back from the door with the bouquet of flowers in her hand. She stared at the words on the page but they blurred and shifted into an image of Emily accepting the flowers, the entire scene unfolding in front of her like she was watching a silent horror movie. Someone just gave Emily flowers. They've been barely over for twenty-four hours and already someone was making a move on Emily. The girl didn't have that taken, grieving or mourning vibe anymore. She was available.

"Who's that from?" Paige asked once Emily was seated beside her again, unable to bottle up her curiosity.

Emily placed the flowers on the empty chair next to hers and reached for the card just as their professor entered the room. She opened the card and scanned the message before slipping it inside her notebook and turning her attention to the lecture. "Gary Chambers." She replied when she felt Paige's eyes still on her, aware that the girl was waiting for her to give an answer.

"Who's that?" Paige asked out of the corner of her mouth, her attention to the lecture as well.

"She's the president of MUSE. I met her earlier when I signed up for the seminar." Emily explained under her breath.

"You must've loved getting those flowers just now." Paige muttered, looking down on her notebook as she copied something their professor wrote on the board, sure that it wasn't important but she needed to do something to distract herself.

Emily subtly shook her head. "No. I didn't. You saw how everyone's attention was focused on me. It was embarrassing." She admitted.

"I wouldn't know. It's not like I was paying attention." Paige said coolly, refusing to admit to Emily that she's affected or that she's jealous. Clearly Emily had no regrets putting a stop to whatever it was they were doing up until last night. Before she knew it Emily would start going out with other girls and just like that she'd be forgotten. She crashed and burned even before she took flight.

Emily studied Paige's posture out of the corner of her eye, trying to read the girl's expression. She wanted to know how the girl really felt when she saw the flowers just now. Because that was the first thing that came to mind when she accepted the bouquet earlier. Once she got over her embarrassment. _How would Paige feel when she sees this?_

But Paige's expression was blank. Like once the girl found out who the flowers were from, Paige's curiosity was satisfied and now the girl couldn't care less that someone else was interested in her. Emily focused her undivided attention to the lecture, trying to ignore the sinking feeling that came with the realization that Paige really didn't care. She knew she was supposed to be okay with it. After all, they agreed to put a stop to what was happening between them before it got more intense. When she saw her professor write something on the board, Emily automatically jotted it down in her notebook, stealing another glance at Paige as she did so.

_So if you're really okay with it... why does it hurt?_

* * *

"Come on newbie, double time!" Reese urged as she stopped just in front the entrance of Café Prima that afternoon, turning around to wait for the girl to join her.

Paige dragged her feet while making her way towards Reese, her hands inside the pockets of the trousers of the tracksuit she was wearing to keep herself warm. She dreaded stepping inside the café. Not because of what she pulled yesterday since she's sure barely anyone paid attention to that but because she didn't want to see Emily. Sitting beside the girl for an hour and a half in class was her limit. But Reese insisted she accompany the girl inside the café today, saying this was the first time that she genuinely wanted to hang out there. Reese said as opposed to the other times that she was accompanying Paige, today Paige was accompanying her. And she couldn't say no because Reese was so good at guilt tripping her into doing something.

"I said yes to coming here with you today. Why won't you meet me halfway?" Paige complained. "Why can't we just sit here and give other people a chance to sit in that loveseat inside?" She suggested, gesturing to the chairs outside the café once she reached Reese. She didn't mind keeping her hands inside her pockets the entire time they're there to keep herself warm. She just didn't want to see Emily.

"Uh, because it's freezing out here." Reese answered, pointing out the obvious. "It's so cold my coffee's going to freeze the same time my ass does. We're staying inside." She declared, turning around to pull the door open.

"Just so you know. I hate you right now." Paige muttered, glaring at the girl before reluctantly following Reese inside. She slowly made her way to the loveseat without even looking towards the counter and sat on the couch, her gaze glued to Reese.

"You're not gonna turn into stone, Paige." Reese said wryly. "You can look at Emily directly."

"I _knew_ you were doing this just to put us in the same room!" Paige exclaimed accusingly. "It's not going to work."

"Uh, think again. She's looking this way." Reese informed the girl as she watched Emily out of the corner of her eye. "Now don't be a snob and greet her like a civilized person."

Paige sighed and finally forced herself to look at the girl, nodding her head when Emily gave her a small wave. "There. Satisfied? Can we go now?" She asked, moving to get up but Reese grabbed her by the arm.

"We are staying." Reese said firmly. "We're paying customers, Paige. Just because you're not kissing one of the baristas anymore doesn't mean we can't sit here. It's not a crime."

"Can we please not talk about that?" Paige implored, rubbing the side of her head in distress.

"Done." Reese readily agreed. "So. Any exciting plans this weekend that doesn't involve a swim meet?" She asked, facing Paige while they wait for someone else to take their orders since it was obvious Emily wasn't planning on coming over.

Paige nodded. "Actually, yeah. Kayla and I are going to a club Saturday night." She answered, grateful that Reese posed that question or she would've forgotten about that. "Do you want to join us? I can finally introduce you to Kayla."

"You're going to a club?!" Reese replied instead, her jaw dropping. "Who are you and what have you done to my favorite freshman?!" She exclaimed disbelievingly.

"Just say yes, Reese." Paige said, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"Depends. Which club are you planning to go to? Woody's?" Reese asked.

Paige shook her head. "We don't know yet. But definitely not Woody's. I think one of the bartenders there might still remember me. She gave me free chips and I never called her." She admitted sheepishly. "Do you know of any other cool gay clubs?"

"I might. Ever been to ICandy?" Reese said in reply.

Paige was about to say 'no' when she heard the front door open and she sat up straight when a girl with wavy brown hair entered the café with an air of confidence around her. She watched as the girl looked around the place, her eyes lighting up when it stopped by the counter and Paige knew she was looking at Emily.

"Who's that?" Reese asked, following Paige's line of sight. "I'm only asking because I want to notify her family where they can claim her remains once you're done shooting daggers at her."

"I'm not sure but if I have to guess that's _Gary Chambers_, _president of MUSE_." Paige answered, not bothering to hide her jealousy from her friend. "She had flowers delivered to our MGMT100 class this afternoon for Emily. Can you believe that? Who does that?!" She asked disbelievingly.

"Oh. Yeah. Eew. That doesn't sound romantic at all." Reese agreed sarcastically, shuddering for emphasis.

"I'm serious." Paige said, looking at Reese wryly.

"Newbie, that was a swoon-worthy move. I'm not gonna lie to you." Reese confessed, giving the girl an apologetic look. "Point me to a girl who doesn't like that sort of thing and I will point you to a girl who doesn't like being serenaded." She challenged.

"Okay. That's easy. Emily." Paige answered, nodding her head towards the girl who was currently engrossed in a conversation with Gary. "I asked if she loved it and she said she didn't. She felt embarrassed 'cos everyone was looking at her. Now it's your turn."

"Me." Reese said, pointing to herself.

Paige studied the girl. "Liar." She declared smugly.

"Well so is Emily." Reese pointed out. "Look at her and tell me that isn't the face of someone who didn't like Gary's romantic gesture earlier." She said, nodding her head towards the counter.

Paige returned her attention to Emily, studying the girl closely as Emily talked to Gary. She swallowed hard when she saw Emily laugh at something Gary said, clenching her fist as she fought the overwhelming urge to head over there and grab the girl, whisking her away to a place where it's just the two of them and then she'll force Emily to admit that it's not over between them. Because she didn't want it to be over.

"You know, I really thought you two were sneaking around." Reese admitted, looking at Paige sympathetically. "When you told me that lame story about how Emily came over later that night and said it's better if you two just remained friends, I thought I'd humor you and lead you to believe that I bought it. But now you've convinced me. You, my friend, have been officially friend-zoned."

Paige hastily got up when she heard Reese utter those words. "I'm gonna go." She muttered, her voice hoarse. Grabbing her duffel bag from the floor, Paige walked past Reese and made her way to the front door, pushing it open with more force than she intended to and letting the door slam shut behind her as she hurriedly made her way to her car.

* * *

"Stop! No more anecdotes!" Emily pleaded when she finally managed to stop laughing, wiping the tears in her eyes as she fought the urge to break into hysterics again, aware that they were supposed to be in a library.

"But I just saved the best for last!" Paige complained. "Come on. Let me tell it."

Emily shook her head vehemently. "No. No more stories or you're going to get us kicked out of this place." She reminded the girl, covering her mouth when she felt like she was about to start laughing again.

It was a Friday morning and the two girls found themselves half-buried in mountains of books in the second floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center where the Lippincott Library Wharton was located. They were currently doing research for their MGMT100 group project since after their class yesterday, Vince, their group leader, assigned pairs to research the five topics they needed to cover for their class project and he assigned Emily and Paige to one topic. Paige knew Emily was oblivious to her outburst at the café yesterday when she walked out on Reese and despite what she was feeling towards their situation; she knew she can't let that get in the way of their responsibility. She was the one having a hard time accepting the reality that she and Emily were over so it was up to her to change the mood between them if only for today so they could do their part in the project.

"Fine. But I'm telling you you're missing out on a really good story." Paige said confidently before returning to the book she was browsing.

Emily shook her head in amusement before grabbing another book in the pile in front of them, studying the table of contents before turning to the page she was looking for. When she and Paige decided yesterday after class to meet this morning to do the research, Emily had no problem at first even if things between them were still awkward. But Paige's outburst at the café yesterday afternoon almost made her want to cancel on the girl today.

On her way to work yesterday, Emily was surprised to get a call from an unregistered number and was even more surprised when she answered it and the person on the other end of the line turned out to be Gary. The girl explained that she got Emily's number from the signup sheet earlier and called to ask if Emily got the flowers. She said she did and thanked the girl, stopping herself from saying that while she appreciated the gesture, she didn't like being the center of attention. Gary then asked if she could see her now and Emily said that she was on her way to work, hence the impromptu visit from the president of MUSE which Paige bore witness to.

Hurt that Paige really didn't care whether someone else was interested in her; Emily pretended she was enjoying Gary's company in front of the girl to show that she wasn't bothered by Paige's indifference. She made sure that she laughed at the right punch lines and smiled at the correct puns even if she had no idea what Gary was telling her because the entire time she was watching Paige. Then, all pretenses that she was interested in Gary disappeared when Paige got up and left the café abruptly, the force with which the girl pushed the door open making Emily think it would fly off its hinges.

It took every ounce of self-control she had in her to force herself not to run after the girl when she saw Reese looking at her suspiciously so she turned her attention to Gary again but her thoughts were solely on Paige. Wondering what Reese could've said to the girl that made Paige leave seething. She was tempted to text Paige last night to ask if they were still on for today but she thought better of it when she remembered how angry Paige seemed.

Now, as she sat in front of the girl, Emily couldn't help but feel relieved that Paige seemed to be in a better mood. She thought the girl was mad at her but ever since Paige arrived, the girl had been telling her all sorts of weird and funny stories that they've been given two warnings by the librarian because Emily can't stop laughing. She bit her bottom lip, trying to focus on the book in front of her instead of the girl across her.

Paige stole a glance at Emily, her pulse racing when she saw the girl bite her bottom lip in concentration. What she would give to be able to kiss those soft, perfect lips again. But Emily didn't want to be something more with her and she didn't want to force the issue so now they're sitting here pretending that the past four days of sneaking around never happened. Pretending that they're just friends. Something she's been doing ever since she laid eyes on the girl. Pretending. When Emily kissed her the first time she thought she could finally stop pretending. The girl felt something for her so she didn't see the point of fighting or hiding her feelings anymore. But then Emily said she made a mistake. So now she's back to fighting and hiding it.

"What?" Emily suddenly asked when she caught Paige looking at her.

Paige shook her head. "Nothing." She answered softly before returning to what she was reading.

Emily let her gaze linger on Paige, wondering why the girl suddenly seemed miserable. Last time she checked she was laughing hard and Paige was spewing one funny anecdote after another. That was barely fifteen minutes ago. They haven't said anything to each other since then.

"I'm going to head to the stacks." Paige suddenly said, getting up before indicating the rows of books behind her. "I'm going to go crosscheck something." She lied, unable to take being this near to Emily. She needed a few minutes to compose herself when she felt her frustration beginning to surface again.

"Okay." Emily acknowledged, giving the girl a small smile before looking down on the book in front of her.

Ten minutes later, Emily stopped writing in her yellow pad and looked up to see what was taking Paige so long. She was about to stand up and look for the girl when she saw Paige emerge with a book, followed close behind by another girl who was obviously older than them. Probably a sophomore or a junior. Emily watched Paige say something before accepting a piece of paper the girl handed to her, quickly averting her eyes when she saw Paige start heading back to their table. Once the girl was seated in front of her, Emily noticed that Paige's mood was significantly chipper and she felt her stomach tighten in knots.

"Got a date?" Emily guessed, hoping her tone just now didn't sound accusing or jealous.

Paige shrugged. "Maybe." She replied before looking at the piece of paper she was holding in her hand. If Emily can easily forget what happened between them, so can she. "She helped me find the book I needed back there."

Emily rolled her eyes. "And now you're wondering what else she could help you with. Of course." She commented, her tone sounding bitter.

Paige studied Emily. _Finally_. She thought when she saw the brief flash of hurt in the girl's eyes. She was tired of pretending. And she thought she was the only one doing it but just now Emily showed a sign that what happened between them affected her too. They haven't talked about it and it's been more than a day.

"You and I. We're still not more than friends, right?" Paige asked, matching Emily's tone.

"Yeah. Why?" Emily replied, staring at Paige cautiously.

"Just wondering why you seem really pissed off right now when the reason we're not making out in some secluded area in this library in the first place is because you wanted out." Paige reminded the girl coolly.

"What are you saying?" Emily shot back, getting upset that Paige was now blaming her when it was supposed to be a mutual decision.

"I'm saying all you need to do is tell me that you want to try again and I'll forget this girl or any other girl for that matter. It's always been up to you." Paige pointed out as she showed the piece of paper to Emily.

"You're a big girl, Paige. You can do whatever you want. You don't need my permission." Emily responded, trying to seem unaffected. She can't believe Paige was getting mad at her for a decision they made together.

Paige stood up, upset by the girl's stubbornness. "Then I guess I'm going out on a date for grown-up girls." She declared as she gathered her things quickly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go make plans for tonight." She said, not bothering to hide her anger as she turned around to leave.

Paige took her time heading for the stairs, waiting for Emily to run after her, maybe call out to her and ask her to stay. But the girl didn't. When she finally reached the ground floor, Paige crumpled the piece of paper the girl handed to her earlier and threw it in the trashcan near the exit before pushing the door open and stepping outside, a cold wind blowing past her fueling her bad mood. Paige took a deep breath to calm herself and zipped her jacket before heading for the parking lot to get to her car.

_I don't want anyone else. I just want you_.

* * *

"What time did she say she's going to arrive?" Reese asked Paige, raising her voice to be heard above the sound of the loud music playing on the speakers at ICandy on a Saturday night.

"I don't know! She said thirty minutes!" Paige shouted as she moved to the side to avoid a couple dancing energetically. She looked around the crowded club, trying to find a vacant table.

Paige called Reese earlier that day to confirm that her friend was still coming tonight and she was surprised when the girl admitted that she thought Paige was mad at her. She felt embarrassed and clarified that she wasn't. Just upset about her situation with Emily so she bolted. Paige apologized for taking it out on Reese and asked the girl to come with her and Kayla tonight at ICandy and they were all supposed to go together but Kayla told her at the last minute to go ahead and that she'll just catch up to them.

"This way!" Reese called out, grabbing Paige's hand and leading the way upstairs where she spotted a vacant table when the crowd parted for a few seconds.

"Oh my god I feel like everybody's sweat just transferred to me." Paige said when she and Reese finally reached the table and sat down on two of the chairs. "I haven't even attempted to dance and already I'm sweaty." She complained, trying to wipe the sweat off her arms.

"I'm just glad I'm still wearing clothes when I got here." Reese commented. "For a while there I thought I was going to lose my dress!"

Paige laughed. "I don't think your dress is going anywhere." She told Reese reassuringly, staring hard at the black sexy halter dress the girl was wearing. "Are you even really wearing a dress or is that body paint?" She asked, leaning forward to poke the girl's abdomen playfully.

"Ha. Ha." Reese uttered, grabbing Paige's forefinger and pushing it back towards the girl. "Careful newbie, I'm starting to think you're getting a little crush on me." She said teasingly.

Paige gave out a short laugh. "Oh you wish. I _never_ fall for my friends." She shot back.

"There's always a first time, newbie. Never say never." Reese said cryptically. "Now how will this Kayla chick find us in this crowd?" She asked, looking around them.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Kayla's used to these scenes." Paige replied. "Told ya." She suddenly said, waving when she spotted Kayla making her way towards them. Paige slowly lowered her hand and the smile on her lips disappeared when she noticed that the girl wasn't alone.

"Oh please tell me that stunner walking behind her isn't Emily." Reese begged, knowing Paige was still dealing with the girl's rejection.

"I wish I could." Paige heard herself say, her mouth going dry and the butterflies in her stomach doing somersaults while increasing tenfold when she saw Emily's mini burgundy dress that has cut outs on each side and on the center and a tight fit all around, leaving little to the imagination.

"Hey!" Kayla enthusiastically said in greeting when she got to them. "I hope you two don't mind but I decided to invite Emily." She said before glancing at the girl standing next to her.

"No it's fine." Paige replied, giving Emily a strained smile knowing the two of them didn't want Kayla to suspect something was wrong. "This is Reese by the way." She told Kayla, gesturing to the girl seated across her.

Kayla smiled at the girl. "I figured you're the infamous Reese. I'm Kayla." She said, extending her hand as she introduced herself.

"Nice to finally meet you. Your culinary skills precede you." Reese said good-naturedly, shaking Kayla's hand.

"Well I do make a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich but don't tell anyone." Kayla joked, taking the compliment in stride.

The two girls laughed but stopped to clear their throats when they realized that they were the only ones talking. They glanced at Emily and Paige and saw that the two girls were just staring at each other and the music in the club was slowly being drowned out by the tension that Reese and Kayla could feel it.

Reese abruptly stood up. "You know what? We're at a club so we should get drinks with lots of alcohol in it." She suggested, grabbing Kayla's arm. "I'm assuming you have a fake ID so come with me." She added, leaving the two girls alone.

Paige finally averted her eyes from Emily and stared at the dance floor, seemingly fascinated by the gyrating crowd below.

"Maybe I should just leave." Emily offered, feeling awkward just standing there like a post.

Paige shook her head. "No. Stay. You're Kayla's guest." She reminded the girl, pulling out the chair next to her and offering it to Emily before looking away again.

Emily bit her bottom lip and sat down next to the girl, making a conscious effort to put some distance between them. "I borrowed some cookbooks from Kayla and she invited me when she found out I had no plans tonight. We went back to my room in Harrison that's why she was late getting here." She said, feeling like she had to explain herself to Paige. "Don't get mad at her for inviting me."

"I'm not mad at Kayla." Paige said, wishing the two girls would hurry back with their drinks.

"But you're mad at me." Emily guessed.

"No. I'm not." Paige replied, her eyes focused on the dance floor.

"Then why didn't you invite me to come tonight?" Emily asked, hurt.

"Don't take it personally. I don't exactly know your schedule these days. I didn't know if you went home for the weekend or if you're out on a date with Gary somewhere." Paige explained coolly.

"You could've called to ask." Emily pointed out.

"Then I guess that's one more thing to add to your growing list of my screw-ups." Paige suggested, barely able to hide the bitterness she felt.

"I'm going to go home on Wednesday for my dad's going away party anyway so I chose not to go home this weekend." Emily replied, ignoring Paige's verbal attack. "And I don't have a date tonight. That's why I accepted Kayla's invitation." She continued.

"So you could find one here?" Paige guessed, glancing at Emily's outfit. "It's not like you wore that dress for my benefit."

"Yeah. Why would I do that?" Emily replied, now feeling like an idiot.

When Kayla invited her to come tonight and said she's going out with Paige and Reese, Emily immediately thought of wearing this dress, hoping to get some sort of reaction from the girl other than apathy. After their fight yesterday morning in the library, it was clear that Paige was set on seeing other girls and it hurt Emily that the girl told her it's always been up to her what happens between them. Like Paige didn't need to prove anything to her and she should just accept what the girl was saying to her at face value. If Paige can go out and look for other girls, so can she.

"Did you know Kayla was meeting me and Reese?" Paige asked, looking at the crowd again.

"Yeah." Emily admitted.

"So why did you still come?" Paige continued, looking at Emily this time, hoping the girl would just admit that she wanted to see her.

"What happened to the girl you met in the library?" Emily asked in reply.

"Nothing." Paige answered. "I lost her number."

"So I guess you're here to find one as well. A date." Emily clarified. "Like you I'm just here trying to find someone to spend Saturday night with. Maybe we can help each other out." She suggested.

Paige shrugged and returned her gaze to the crowd below. "Do whatever you want." She told the girl indifferently.

* * *

"You think it's a good idea? Leaving those two alone?" Kayla asked, craning her neck to see above the crowd of dancers to check on Emily and Paige. "'Cos I don't want to bury one of them. It's too soon for me." She added, looking at Reese worriedly.

"Don't worry. They'll be fine." Reese said, glancing behind her before getting back to the Cosmo she was nursing.

The two of them were sitting at the bar, choosing to get drinks there rather than return to the two girls who obviously needed to be alone right now. Reese had to restrain Kayla from heading back saying there are some things the two needed to talk about in private, offering to buy Kayla drinks if the girl sat with her for a few minutes.

"They didn't even notice we haven't come back with their drinks and it's been thirty minutes." Kayla pointed out. "What do they have to talk about?" She asked, giving Reese a confused look.

Reese inclined her head to the side, contemplating whether or not to ask Kayla her question. She has no idea how much the girl knows about what's been happening between Emily and Paige and she didn't want to accidentally spill something that the two girls were obviously trying to hide. She took a sip of her drink before speaking.

"Let me ask you something. What's your stand on the two seeing each other? Like in public?" Reese clarified. "Would it be weird for you? I mean, Paige told me you're Jai's sister. Are you okay with Emily seeing your sister's best friend this soon?"

"It's going to be weird for a while but not just for me but for a lot of people." Kayla admitted, playing with the straw of her Sex on the Beach drink. "And probably hard especially for my dad. To see Emily move on from my sister when it hasn't even been a year since she died. Not that we don't want her to be happy or that she has to wait for a certain time to be with someone new." She added hurriedly. "I want Paige to be happy. And Emily too. And ever since my sister died those two have been comforting each other. Helping each other get past what happened..."

"So you think it's their grief that brought them together. You don't think it's the real deal between them?" Reese guessed. "I'm not judging you or anything. I don't even know their story before they came to UPenn. When I met Paige she admitted that she's liked Emily for years. So in my opinion I don't think it's grief on her part. Why she's drawn to Emily."

"I don't either." Kayla agreed. "I know Paige has liked Emily since they were freshmen. It's Emily that I'm worried about. Paige is the closest thing in her life right now that still connects her to Jai. And if Emily isn't sure... if the only reason she's spending time with Paige is because she wants to hold on to a part of Jai that she sees in Paige... then Paige is going to get hurt. And I don't think I can take that. To see Paige suffer all over again. To see Paige's heart get broken. And considering it already was even before she met Emily..."

"How... long have you been in love with Paige?" Reese suddenly asked.

"Since I hit puberty." Kayla admitted. "But she doesn't know so please don't tell her!" She begged.

Reese's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow." She uttered. "This is... and I thought my life had drama." She commented wryly, taking another sip of her drink.

* * *

"That girl seems interested." Emily suggested, subtly nodding her head to a girl looking at her and Paige from another table.

"I think I'll pass." Paige said without even looking at the girl Emily was referring to.

"Ooh... how about her?" Emily continued, ignoring Paige's flippant attitude as she nodded her head towards another table.

"Nope." Paige answered, her gaze still on the dance floor. "Not my type."

"But she seems nice. And you haven't even seen her yet. Just take a look." Emily insisted.

"Stop it." Paige said curtly, looking at Emily bitterly.

"What?" Emily asked, confused.

"I don't want to meet anyone tonight." Paige answered, annoyed.

"But I thought we were going to help each other meet someone?" Emily pointed out. "Why did you agree with me?"

"I didn't agree. I said do whatever _you_ want. I'm not letting you pick some random girl for yourself in this place." Paige said, barely able to hide the bitterness she was feeling. Even if she was frustrated at the girl... like hell she'd let Emily go home with someone who's going to take advantage of her.

"Thanks but I can take care of myself." Emily reminded the girl seated next to her.

Paige scoffed. "_Yeah_. I'm sitting here doing this because I think you're helpless." She said sarcastically.

"Then why are you doing this?" Emily asked, her voice hoarse, waiting for Paige to talk to her.

"Excuse me." Emily and Paige looked towards the direction of the voice and saw a girl sporting a pixie haircut standing above them with a blue drink in hand.

"Yeah?" Emily said, a little annoyed that she and Paige were interrupted.

"Someone wanted you to have this." The girl continued, handing the drink to Emily.

"Oh. Um, thank you." Emily replied, looking around to try to see who the drink was from. Her gaze stopped at a girl sitting with a couple of other girls in a booth a few steps away from where she and Paige were seated when the girl raised her own blue drink towards Emily.

Paige followed Emily's line of sight and studied the girl. "She seems okay." She said after a beat.

"I'm gonna go talk to her." Emily decided, standing up.

Paige nodded wordlessly and watched as Emily sat down beside the girl and started a conversation, forcing herself to look away but can't because she wanted to make sure that Emily would be fine.

"Hi." Paige momentarily averted her eyes from Emily when she heard a voice next to her. "I can't help but notice that you're alone. Mind if I sat here and kept you company?" The girl asked flirtatiously.

"Yeah. I do. Every seat here is taken." Paige answered rudely, looking at Emily again. She wasn't in the mood for company right now.

"Bitch. No wonder that girl just left you." The girl commented before walking away.

_Not really the reason but why not add that to the list as well?_ Paige thought as she wearily ran a hand through her hair. She groaned when she saw another girl seemingly walking towards her. _Do I have a sign that says 'I'm in a foul mood tonight but hey, try your luck anyway?!'_

Emily tried to listen to what the girl seated next to her was saying but her eyes kept drifting back to Paige and how she kept shaking her head to any girl who came up to her to start a conversation. Paige's behavior since Wednesday night baffled her.

The girl went from understanding (they both agreed to stop things between them.)

To indifferent (when she got those flowers in class.)

To angry (Paige blamed her yesterday morning for why they're not together.)

To supportive (now the girl was helping her meet someone.)

And Emily didn't know which Paige to respond to. She became grateful (for Paige saying she understood.)

To hurt (that Paige couldn't care less when someone became interested in her.)

To indignant (when she told the girl to do whatever she wanted.)

To accepting (that Paige really didn't like her that much since she was willing to give up so easily.)

As Emily continued to steal glances at Paige from across the room, she realized now why she was trying to move past what happened. It was because it doesn't matter if Paige was all of those things. She could understand, be indifferent, angry and supportive but the end result is the same. Paige never tried to keep her and that really hurt.

* * *

Paige leaned forward against the railing of the balcony in her apartment, staring absentmindedly at the well-lighted streets below. It's already past midnight but she could tell that there were still a lot of people loitering. The entire night was a disaster. Reese and Kayla finally came back with the drinks and while she was annoyed at them for pulling that getting-drinks-to-let-them-talk scheme on her and Emily, she just didn't have it in her to rant. She just wanted to leave the club. Emily finally joined them again and Paige spent the rest of the night talking to Reese while Emily spent her time talking to Kayla. When it became obvious that the night wasn't going to improve, Reese finally decided to say out loud what all of them were thinking. _Let's go home_.

So they did. With the mood she and Emily were in, their group didn't look like four attractive girls who are ready to let loose and have fun. Their group looked like they needed to go to therapy. Paige offered to drive Reese and Emily back to Harrison but Emily said she needed to go back to Kayla's because she left her jacket there earlier. Reese said she wasn't planning on going back to Harrison just yet so in the end, Reese left their company and Paige drove back to her apartment building with Kayla and Emily.

With a last look at the view below her, Paige straightened up and opened the door to the balcony to head inside her apartment, deciding to try to get some sleep before she had to start her training. She hurriedly made her way to the front door when she heard an urgent knocking.

"What?" Paige asked when she saw Emily standing outside.

"I've been knocking on your door for ten minutes. Were you in the bathroom or something?" Emily replied.

"I was at the balcony. I didn't hear you." Paige explained. "What do you want?"

"To say goodnight. I just got my jacket back from Kayla and I'm headed home." Emily said, showing the red UPenn jacket she was wearing. "I didn't want to leave without telling you."

Paige studied Emily's dress and the jacket she was wearing which barely reached the girl's thighs. "I'm driving you home." She decided.

Emily shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to spend more time alone with Paige. "That's not really necessary..."

"I am _not_ letting you ride a bus at this hour wearing next to nothing." Paige said firmly, her hand gripping the doorknob tight. "I'm driving you home. Let me just get my keys." She added, heading for the living room.

Emily entered the apartment before she lost her nerve and locked the door behind her. "I'm not riding in a car with you until you and I talk." She decided.

Paige turned around, surprised. "That's a first. What do you want to talk about?" She asked offhandedly.

Emily studied Paige's face for a moment, trying to decide which Paige she's talking to right now. She knew the girl was studying her face as well and she felt like they were playing an emotional game of spin-the-wheel, the colorful wheel with all these emotions spinning round and round and finally slowing down to display the real emotion they've been feeling all this time. Emily saw the anger in Paige's eyes the same time Paige saw the hurt in Emily's.

Paige averted her eyes and began walking the length of her living room, trying to control the anger and jealousy she was feeling all this time.

"I thought we agreed it was better to stop things before it got intense? You said those words." Emily reminded Paige as she watched the girl pace the living room, the girl's posture rigid.

Paige stopped in her tracks and faced Emily. "Because it's what you wanted. I never said I agreed to it." She argued.

"You said you're fine with it." Emily pointed out.

"Because it's what you wanted." Paige repeated, barely able to hide her frustration. "What was I supposed to do when in your mind you think I'm just playing you?"

"That's the problem. You gave up too easily." Emily said, looking away.

But Paige saw the hurt in the girl's eyes and she snapped. "So now it's my fault?!" She asked incredulously, unable to believe that Emily was the one feeling hurt after what happened. "You're the one who's scared!"

Emily stared disbelievingly at Paige. "I have good reason to be scared. I needed you to reassure me that you _do_ like me but instead you just told me that it's fine if we stopped. You didn't even try!" She exclaimed.

Paige scoffed. "Oh. Wow. My bad. I'm sorry I wasn't being obvious enough _everytime_ I kiss you back." She shot back sarcastically. "I tried, Em. Don't tell me I didn't. If I didn't like you I wouldn't have agreed to sneak around. I would've told you to just forget about it because I'm not that interested anyway. But I didn't. Because I really wanted to be with you. Even if we have to keep it from everyone else just as long as I get to be with you. That's how much I like you." She pointed out, unable to hide the bitterness she was feeling. "But you didn't even consider that when you decided to stop what we were doing. The only thought you had was that I'm a player and that I wasn't serious about you."

"That wasn't the only thing going through my mind. It's the fact that you could lie so easily about your past." Emily admitted. "If you could lie about something that big, it's not hard for you to lie about your feelings for me."

"I may have lied to you about my life but I'm not lying about my feelings for you." Paige said earnestly.

"Then why won't you tell me the truth about Cesca?" Emily challenged. "Why would she tell me to run for the hills? Why did she say that you ruined her life? What did you do?" She asked, pleading for Paige to tell her something. But the girl was on the defense.

"That's what scared you?! Because you think I did something that ruined her life? Em, you've known Cesca for a few months. How could you take her word against mine?" Paige asked, hurt.

"Because you never said anything, Paige. You just brushed it off and expected me to let it go." Emily replied. "What was I supposed to think? And now you're mad at me for wanting out?"

"For the last time. I'm not mad." Paige said, looking away.

"Yes you are." Emily insisted, her throat constricting. "I kept asking if you're mad and you kept saying no but the truth is you are." She continued, tears of hurt finally spilling from her eyes. "You said we could still hang out even if we weren't kissing but since Thursday I feel like you've been punishing me for backing out." She confessed, wiping the tears from her eyes as she choked back a sob.

"I have feelings, Emily. Just because I said we could hang out doesn't mean it's going to be soon." Paige admitted, wishing the girl would stop crying. She couldn't bear to see Emily this way. "I spent four days holding you in my arms and I know you still don't believe me but those four days were the happiest I've ever been in a while. It's not easy being around you after you told me you made a mistake."

"I said I _think_ I made a mistake." Emily corrected, drying her eyes.

"Even so. You still told me it's a mistake and that hurt." Paige admitted. "I'm sorry if you felt like I was punishing you. I wasn't. I'm just dealing with what happened. Trying to come to terms with what we're supposed to be now."

"Which is what?" Emily asked hoarsely.

"I don't know." Paige replied, looking at Emily helplessly. "I don't think I could ever be just friends with you."

"Are you giving me an ultimatum?" Emily guessed, her stomach churning. "You're telling me that I'm going to lose you if I don't decide to be more than friends with you?"

"No. I'm not." Paige replied, shaking her head.

"Yes you are." Emily argued. "You're giving me an ultimatum. All or nothing. Either we're more than friends or we're nothing at all. That's not fair, Paige."

Paige wearily ran a hand through her hair. Emily was right. But it's the other way around. "I know it's not. I'm sorry if I was giving off that vibe." She said sincerely. "I'm not giving you an ultimatum. On the contrary, you're giving me one."

"What?" Emily uttered, confused. "When did I impose an ultimatum?"

"The second you expected us to go back to being friends after what happened." Paige replied. "You want me to be your friend despite knowing that I still like you as more than one. I can't do that. So you're giving me an ultimatum."

"So what, you're going to make a choice between being my friend and staying away?" Emily guessed. "Paige I don't want that."

"Neither do I. But I don't know what to do anymore." Paige admitted, not meeting Emily's eyes. "Come on. It's getting really late. I'll drive you home." She said, walking past the girl to head outside her apartment. So much for getting any sleep tonight. She had a decision to make.

* * *

Emily entered Café Prima on a Monday afternoon, steeling herself for another four hours of grueling shift. Wednesday couldn't come fast enough for her so she could leave UPenn and go home to Rosewood for a few days, away from the drama that's been her life for the past two weeks. At least Rosewood was a lot bigger than UPenn. The chances of her running into Paige there must be a bit lower compared to here especially if she locked herself in her room for the duration of the break.

Last Saturday Paige practically told her that the girl was going to make a choice about their relationship. Where it goes from here. Paige thought it wasn't fair to make Emily choose so she's doing the choosing herself. Which, for Emily, still doesn't seem fair since Paige's choice affects her. But the girl was adamant that it's the right step to take. Emily wasn't willing to be more than friends with her and Paige wasn't willing to be her friend. One of them had to give way.

Emily was about to head for the counter when she stopped in her tracks and noticed that Paige was already seated on the loveseat but Reese was nowhere to be found. She contemplated walking over to the girl but decided against it at the last minute, choosing to pretend she didn't see Paige. Prolonging the agony. She went to the back room and donned her apron, checking her reflection in the small mirror in front of the sink before stepping outside again. She busied herself with doing a quick inventory of everything and turned around to start her shift when she found herself staring into Paige's brown eyes.

"Hey." Paige said lightly in greeting.

"Uh, hey." Emily replied, wondering if Paige was just putting on a show or if the girl was genuinely in a better mood today. "You're early."

Paige nodded. "I know. There's no track practice today so I got here early. I was actually just waiting for you. I'm headed upstairs to hang out with Reese."

"Oh. Okay. Why were you waiting for me?" Emily asked anxiously. _She's made a decision_.

"I just wanted to apologize for what happened last Saturday. And for the way I've been behaving in the past few days. It won't happen again." Paige promised. "I also wanted to tell you that I've made up my mind." She continued. "I had a few days to think about it and while I didn't realize it sooner, last Saturday you made me realize it. It _is_ all or nothing between us. That's one of my flaws when it comes to you." She admitted. "But it's not that simple."

"What do you mean?" Emily asked cautiously.

Paige gave the girl a faint smile. "I mean I like you. _A lot_. I like you so much that I know it's not just either or between us. It's if-then and I am willing to give you what you want." She began. "If you want me to be more than a friend then I can't be your friend anymore because I will cross that line and I don't plan on going back. I can't." She admitted, taking a deep breath. "If you want me to just be a friend from here on out then I will never cross that line because you don't want me to. Either way my decision still means it's all or nothing." She explained. "I don't want to lose you, Em. So even if it's not what I…"

"Emily." Paige turned her head to her left when she heard the voice, surprised to see Gary Chambers standing next to her.

Gary looked at the two girls, suddenly realizing she interrupted something. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I thought you were a customer." She told Paige apologetically.

Paige shook her head. "It's okay. You're not interrupting anything. I was just leaving." She admitted. Paige looked at Emily, giving the girl a sad smile before facing Gary, her decision made. "I don't believe we've met. My name's Paige McCullers." She said, extending a hand. "Emily's friend."

Emily didn't hear the rest of the conversation between the two girls as she rested her palms on the counter for support, feeling like her world was reeling when she heard Paige's decision. She looked on as Paige exited the café, barely paying attention to Gary as she fought the urge to breakdown. Paige's decision. All or nothing. They can be friends. But nothing more. And that devastated her knowing it meant Paige just really gave up on her.

* * *

"Are you going to eat that?" Spencer asked, pointing to the sweet potato fries on Emily's plate and exchanging plates with the girl when Emily shook her head. "What's the matter with you? You barely touched your lunch."

Emily tore her gaze away from outside the quad and returned her attention to her friend. "Just thinking about stuff." She answered vaguely.

"Stuff like what?" Spencer asked, looking at her friend with concern.

"Like whether I should skip the seminar tomorrow morning to go home to Rosewood so I can prepare for my dad's going away party that night." Emily explained. _And the fact that I've been friend-zoned by Paige yesterday_.

"Well as much as I would love to help you out with that one I'm stuck here until Thanksgiving Day." Spencer revealed. "I have all of these reports that I need to submit by Thursday afternoon so I won't be able to go back to Rosewood until it's actually time to have Thanksgiving dinner. I'm just glad Connor is willing to stay with me."

"He's your boyfriend, Spence. Of course he's going to stay." Emily pointed out. "I just don't know what to do. If I stay for the seminar tomorrow I won't be able to prepare for my dad's going away party tomorrow night and I really want to throw that party for him."

"There will be other seminars, Em." Spencer reminded the girl.

"I know that. But I'm really interested in the one being held tomorrow." Emily admitted. "And if my dad finds out I know he's going to convince me to stay for the seminar and just go home in the afternoon. I don't want my mom to slave all day in the kitchen. The plan was for her to spend time with my dad all day while I cook in the house."

Spencer gave her friend a sympathetic look. "Then you need to find a private transportation so you can leave for Rosewood once that seminar is over. It'd be faster. If you want I can ask Connor to drive back with you and I'll just take the bus on Thursday." She offered.

Emily shook her head. "No way. I'm not stealing your boyfriend to drive me home." She protested. "I'll just think of something." She added, resting her head on her hands warily.

"Just the two ladies I've been looking for." Emily looked up when she heard Reese's voice and watched the girl approach the table they were occupying in Café McClelland, getting flustered when she saw Paige not far behind.

"What's up?" Spencer asked Reese, oblivious to Emily's reaction.

"Just wanted to remind the two of you that the dodge ball tournament's after the break in case I don't cross paths with either of you again. I'm leaving for Pittsburgh this afternoon." Reese added before focusing her attention to Emily. "You better show up."

"I'll make it this time." Emily promised, quickly averting her eyes from Paige when she saw the girl looking at her.

"What's wrong?" Paige suddenly asked, making Emily look at her again. "Sorry. You just seem preoccupied." She explained.

Emily contemplated telling Paige her problem before deciding against it. "Nothing." She answered, catching Spencer's curious stare.

"Maybe you could help." Spencer said, looking at Paige. "Em here has a seminar tomorrow morning she wants to attend but that would mean getting home in the afternoon just in time for the going away party for her dad. She's torn between skipping it so she can cook for her dad or attending it and just letting her mom do all the work." She explained. "What's your take?"

"Oh." Paige uttered, placing her hands inside the pockets of her jeans. "I say two hands are better than one." She began, hoping what she was about to do was in the being-a-good-friend category. She didn't know how to be a friend to Emily. "I was planning on going home to Rosewood this afternoon but I don't mind staying one more night. I can give you a ride home after the seminar tomorrow and then help with the party. I'm not a good cook but I'm good with washing dishes." She offered.

Emily bit her bottom lip, unable to decide with three pairs of eyes staring at her.

"I have a class I need to get to." Paige said when she checked the time on her watch. "Text me if you've made a decision. I'll be leaving around five today." She added before walking away with Reese in tow.

* * *

Emily sat on one of the couches in the lobby of Harrison on Wednesday morning, her stomach in knots as she waited for Paige to arrive. Yesterday, close to five in the afternoon, she finally decided to text Paige that she's accepting the girl's offer to give her a ride back to Rosewood once her seminar was done and then spent the rest of the night thinking about what she and Paige would talk about the entire drive home. They were going to be alone in a car for more than three hours. The last time they spent hours in Paige's car not talking was when Paige was busy giving her hickeys and she was busy giving Paige tongue.

_This was a bad idea_. Emily thought, leaning forward on the couch and resting her head on her hands, willing her nerves to calm down. Any minute now Paige is going to show up outside Harrison and she needed to appear calm.

"Hey." Emily lost her balance when she heard Paige's voice in front of her, her elbow losing contact with her knee that she wobbled for a bit.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." Paige said apologetically. "Have you been waiting long?"

Emily shook her head, getting up. "No. I haven't. I just got here." She admitted. "You could've just texted to tell me you were outside. I would've come out."

"I figured you needed help with your things so I thought I'd meet you here instead." Paige explained, walking towards Emily to grab the girl's duffel bag before she could protest. "Let's go."

Emily wordlessly followed Paige outside to where the girl's SUV was parked a few steps away from Harrison, steeling herself for hours of riding in silence with the girl when the passenger door opened and Kayla alighted from inside the vehicle.

"Hey, Em." Kayla said in greeting.

"Kayla. I thought you weren't going home until tomorrow?" Emily asked, confused.

"Paige told me you needed help with the party tonight so I decided to miss school today. You said you were going to call me if you needed help." Kayla reminded the girl.

"I know. It slipped my mind with everything that's been happening lately." Emily admitted. "What are you doing?" She asked when she saw Kayla open the door to the backseat.

"Changing places with you. You get to ride shotgun." Kayla explained enthusiastically.

"You don't have to do that. I'm fine riding in the backseat." Emily hurriedly said.

"I want to sleep before I start cooking so I don't mind, really." Kayla told the girl reassuringly.

"It's Kayla's ritual when she's about to cook massive amounts of food." Paige chimed in before Emily could protest. "Just let her."

Emily walked towards the rear of the car when she saw Paige pull it open to place her duffel bag with the rest of their things. "Did you ask her to come along?" She muttered under her breath while pretending to help the girl.

"I didn't want things to be awkward between us on the way." Paige admitted, smiling at Emily faintly.

Emily exhaled in relief before following Paige and riding in the front, buckling her seatbelt just as Paige started the car.

"It's so roomy back here." Kayla suddenly commented, making Emily and Paige turn around to see the girl already lying face up on the backseat, her eyes fixed on the roof of Paige's car. "It's probably easier to make out in backseats of cars than in the front. You have to be really flexible to be able to move around in that tight space." She continued absentmindedly.

"It's easy." Paige and Emily answered at the same time, making Kayla look at them in surprise.

"I've done it lots of times in my dad's car so I'm used to it." Paige explained offhandedly, facing forward before Kayla could see the look of panic in her and Emily's eyes. "You've probably done it with Jai too, right?" She asked, turning to face Emily.

"My dad's Aston Martin is really cramped and it would take a contortionist to make out there." Kayla answered before Emily could. "I'm going to go with no, she and Jai never made out in a car. Which begs the question, how would you know it's easy?" She asked, looking at Emily as well.

"I meant I _think_ it's easy. Not that I know it is." Emily managed to say in a normal voice despite the panic she was feeling, avoiding the two pairs of eyes staring at her.

"Okay then. Now that that's cleared up, let's go back to Rosewood." Paige said, trying to sound enthusiastic. She turned on the car's stereo and an upbeat music began to blast on the speakers as she shifted the gear to drive, all the while hoping they won't be caught in traffic on the way home.

* * *

"We're here." Paige said as she gently stepped on the brakes and came to a stop in front of Emily's house four and a half hours later. "Made it in record time considering the traffic. You still have a few hours left to cook, right?" She asked, looking at the girl seated next to her.

Emily nodded, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Yeah. Thanks again for doing this." She said, smiling at Paige nervously.

"I figured that's what friends do." Paige said like she had to remind herself that that was the reason why she did it in the first place.

"Right." Emily muttered, looking at Paige.

Paige met Emily's gaze, wondering what to do next. "So I have to go back for Kayla at the grocery." She finally said after a minute of silence passed between them.

"Were you telling the truth earlier?" Emily suddenly asked, choosing to ignore Paige's comment before she lost her nerve.

"About what?" Paige replied even though she knew what Emily was referring to.

"About kissing lots of girls in your father's car." Emily clarified.

When she heard Paige say those words earlier to Kayla, Emily felt nauseous. She let Paige be that intimate with her and the thought that the girl did the exact same thing, probably even more, with other girls in the past, really hurt. A part of her didn't want to believe it. That it was something that they shared for the first time. And she wanted to ask that question ever since they left UPenn.

"Who's asking?" Paige said quietly. "I want to know who's asking. Is it the girl I'm supposed to be just friends with now or the girl I still like?" She asked, meeting Emily's gaze. "Because you can't be both. All or nothing." She added.

Emily contemplated the answer she would like to hear. "I'm asking as the girl you kissed for four hours inside this car." She finally said, her pulse racing.

"Then no." Paige said in all honesty. "You're the first girl I kissed inside this car or inside any car for that matter. The first girl I kissed under the rain." She admitted. "And you're the only girl I would ever want to do that with."

Emily felt her throat constrict. "Are you coming to the party tonight?" She asked hoarsely.

"I don't know. Maybe." Paige replied.

"I want you there." Emily admitted.

Paige smiled. "Then I'll be there." She promised. "You should head inside so you can start cooking. I'll be back with Kayla with the rest of the ingredients as soon as I can."

"Okay." Emily said. And before she could stop herself, she leaned across the seat and kissed Paige on the cheek softly. "Thank you." She whispered before alighting from the car and heading for the front door, never looking back at Paige for fear that the girl will see the regret in her eyes.

* * *

"I don't know how you did it." Kayla said as she diced another potato while staring outside the kitchen window at Paige. "That girl likes to sit in a corner at parties. She's not comfortable mingling with guests."

Emily looked up from dicing the carrots and stared outside the window at Paige as well. "I guess I just have supreme powers of mind control." She answered lightly.

The two girls were currently in the middle of cooking dinner for the party that night. Most of the foods were already done and they were just preparing the last dish, just in time for when Wayne and Pam would arrive. Paige tried to help with the cooking. But they soon learned that the girl wasn't exactly gifted with culinary skills so Emily asked if Paige could entertain the guests in the backyard while she and Kayla took care of the food.

"Well whatever you said to her, I'm just saying it's the first time she's actually mingled with the guests and enjoyed it. And considering she doesn't even know the people here, that's huge." Kayla commented, turning on the stove to start heating the pan.

Emily finished dicing all the carrots and handed them to Kayla, washing the dishes while the other girl busied herself with cooking the _Picadillo_. Emily took the opportunity to study Paige, watching the girl as Paige played with her five-year-old cousin Eli. When the boy playfully pushed Paige and the girl ended up sitting on the ground butt first, Emily thought Paige was just going to get up and dust herself off but instead the girl started to laugh before grabbing Eli and tickling the boy, a strand of hair making its way to Paige's eyes and that second was captured in Emily's mind. Like a Polaroid shot of a candid moment and Emily felt her breath hitch at the sight of Paige looking happy and carefree.

_I want her back._

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Emily began, averting her eyes from Paige to look at Kayla.

"What is it?" Kayla replied as she poured some olive oil into the pan.

"You've been going to Girard for years. Do you know of a Cesca who went there with Paige and Jai?" Emily asked, getting straight to the point.

"Uh... I only know of one Cesca. And that's Cesca Thomas. She used to come over all the time at our house in Philly before we moved here." Kayla answered. "She was one of Jai's closest friends back in Girard so obviously Cesca was part of the popular crowd. She's also best friends with Ria Figueroa." She revealed.

"Figueroa. Why does that name sound familiar?" Emily asked herself out loud, racking her brain.

Kayla glanced at Emily before sautéing the onions and garlic. "Probably because it's the name of the family Jai stayed with in London." She supplied.

Emily nodded. "Right. Well do you know what happened to Paige back in Girard? Cesca's on my swim team and a few days ago they crossed paths and there seems to be some bad blood between them." She admitted.

Kayla shook her head "Sorry. I didn't really know Paige until Jai introduced me to her after she saved her life." She explained. "And other than Paige, Jai's friends weren't really mine. I tend to stay away from the older batches."

"Jai saved Paige's life?" Emily asked. Now she was really curious as to how the two girls met. And Kayla noticed it.

"Em. Do you still like Paige? Romantically?" Kayla asked cautiously. "Is that why you're asking me all these questions?"

"A little. But like I said, I'm not going to do anything about it anymore. It's going to go away eventually." Emily lied.

"Then don't bring this up when you're with her? Please? I can tell you're curious and you're itching to ask her all these questions. But please don't?" Kayla implored. "Paige... she had a hard time back in Girard. I know I said I didn't meet her until Jai introduced us. But I knew soon after that she had a hard life there. If you're asking all these questions because you're just curious... don't ask her."

"I know. It's just that Cesca said Jai left Girard and Philly for Paige. And when I asked her she confirmed it but she said that Jai kept the move a secret from her." Emily confessed, turning off the faucet so she could concentrate on talking to Kayla. "I just think it's weird. That Cesca seemed mad at Paige for Jai's decision to leave. Paige said Cesca's straight. So she couldn't have been jealous if one of them had feelings for the other..."

"What do you really want to know, Em?" Kayla asked as she added the ground pork.

"Did Jai... did she ever love Paige? As more than a friend?" Emily asked, looking away. She didn't know how she felt about that. Finding out that her girlfriend once loved the girl she now liked.

Kayla laughed. "Uh, no. Of the two of us, I'm the one with the romantic feelings for Paige. Em, you're the only girl my sister ever loved that way." She promised.

"Well that's the only reason I could think of as to why Jai would leave the life she had in Philly and Girard and move to Rosewood and transfer to a new school. I love my friends but I wouldn't go to those lengths for them." Emily admitted.

"Have you ever experienced fear? Not just fear of being alone in the dark or seeing a venomous snake or a poisonous spider. I'm talking about a fear so strong that it cripples you? It paralyzes you?" Kayla asked, glancing at Paige who was currently playing peek-a-boo with one of Emily's other cousins. "Jai did." She revealed, looking at Emily. "Twice. First with my mom, then when she almost lost Paige. She didn't show it. She kept a brave front the entire time. But I'm her sister so I know deep down she was terrified. Love is a strong reason to start a new life somewhere else. But so is fear." She pointed out. "Jai never loved Paige as more than a friend. But she loved her a lot. And if you didn't come into my sister's life, Paige will always be the most important person to Jai."

"I just feel like Paige has a lot of secrets and she won't tell me any of them. She's keeping me at a distance and it's frustrating." Emily confessed.

Kayla smiled at Emily understandingly. "Em, everyone has secrets. And the only way for you to know them is if you earn the unwavering trust of the person keeping them." She reminded the girl. "Paige's secrets aren't bad. I can tell you everything about Paige but it took me years to earn her trust and I'm not gonna throw that away." Kayla said apologetically. "You and Paige. Even if you've been in each other's lives for years it wasn't until recently that you've gotten close so you can't expect her to just willingly tell you about her life just because you asked her to." She added wryly. "I know you're frustrated. But getting mad at Paige won't make her open up to you. If anything, you'll only push her away."

"So what do I do?" Emily asked, her gaze drifting to Paige and saw that the girl was looking at her as well.

"Show her you're not going anywhere. That's a good place to start earning her trust." Kayla promised.

* * *

"Sorry the party got out of hand." Paige told Emily as she helped clean up the mess inside the girl's living room. "I probably shouldn't have given your little cousins ice cream. I had no idea it would make them so hyper." She admitted as she began to pick up empty plastic cups that littered the floor.

"It's fine. Just remember what happened tonight the next time you come to one of my family's gatherings." Emily heard herself say before she could process the meaning of those words, meeting Paige's surprised look. "I mean, in case you end up going again with some of my other friends." She clarified nervously. "You don't have to help me clean the entire place."

"I know. But I want to." Paige insisted. "It's kinda my fault that there's all this mess anyway considering it's supposed to be an adult going away party.

Emily surveyed the living room and shook her head wryly. The guests have all left and she bid goodbye to her dad a few hours ago, offering to stay to clean around the house while her mom saw her dad to the airport. Kayla left after spending a few hours at the party saying she had to cook again tomorrow for Thanksgiving with her dad so she wanted to turn in early. Paige decided to stay since Emily's cousins seem to be fond of her and she was the only one who could control them when she fed them sugar.

"Well thanks for helping me clean up." Emily said earnestly as she gathered more plastic cups from the floor.

Emily studied Paige out of the corner of her eye as the two of them went about cleaning around the room in silence. It's been a week since she decided to back out of what they were doing and although she and Paige have tried hanging out like nothing's changed, in the end Paige made her choice to just be Emily's friend even if the girl admitted earlier that she still likes Emily. So tonight, Emily felt like something was lacking. She was still attracted to the girl. And Paige was keeping her distance knowing Emily didn't want anything to happen. But the entire day Paige has been nothing but amazing.

"You're probably tired. You should get some rest." Paige insisted. "I'll just finish picking up these cups and then I'll start washing the dishes." She said as they headed for the kitchen.

"I'm fine. I just probably need some sugar in my system to keep me going. Too bad you fed all the ice cream to my cousins." Emily said teasingly as she sat on one of the chairs around the dining table.

"Ha. That's where you're wrong. I actually kept one hidden." Paige revealed, heading for the fridge and opening the freezer to get a pint-sized ice cream container. "I stopped by the old ice cream parlor on my way to pick up Kayla earlier." She admitted as she walked over to the kitchen counter to grab a clean spoon. "I don't know what it feels like. Having your dad leave for long periods of time and having to worry about his safety constantly. But I do know the joy you feel when he's around and when you find out he's coming home." Paige said earnestly. "I know today sucks for you. Throwing this party because your dad's leaving again and not being able to see him off because you want to make sure that when your mom gets home all she has to do is change and go to bed." She continued, sitting on a chair next to Emily and pushing the spoon and pint of ice cream towards the girl.

"Gold Medal Ribbon." Emily said, reading the flavor on the lid. "How did you know?" She asked, looking at Paige curiously.

"You didn't notice me that day since I was a few people behind you. I was in line to buy some ice cream for Kayla since she just got her wisdom tooth extracted and I saw you with your dad. He just got home from Afghanistan 'cos he was still wearing his army uniform but I guess he was as excited as you were to spend time together that's why the two of you went out to get ice cream." Paige explained, smiling a little. "You looked so happy that night and you were telling your dad about what he missed since he left. That you got yourself a girlfriend and that she's perfect and that you're happy." She added. "I guess I just wanted to see that smile again. It's been so long." Paige said quietly.

Emily stared at the pint of ice cream and then at Paige. It was because of things like this that made her feel confused. At least it used to. If she wasn't so set on thinking about Paige playing her, she would have realized that the Paige she knew for three years was gone. Replaced by the Paige sitting beside her tonight. The one Jai kept insisting was great. The one her girlfriend insisted she would like once she got to know. Jai was wrong. Paige is more than great. And she just didn't like Paige. She liked her a lot. Emily suddenly leaned forward, making Paige's heartbeat increase its tempo.

"It's just ice cream." Paige uttered nervously. Emily was sitting way too close to her she could smell the girl's shampoo. Before she knew it, Emily leaned in closer and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Thank you." Emily whispered when she broke the contact, her lips tingling. She forgot how much being this near to Paige affected her.

Paige cleared her throat. "You're welcome." She said hoarsely.

Paige didn't want to read too much into the kiss. She didn't want to ask Emily what it meant; scared to hope and hear that it was just a simple kiss. She felt her cheeks burning. Emily was the only girl who made her feel this flustered. She had game when it came to other girls but when she's with Emily she turns into a bumbling, awkward idiot. She was head over heels crazy about Emily and it hurt being alone with the girl and not being able to touch her because Emily didn't trust her. Paige averted her eyes; sure that Emily could see the emotions she was trying to hide and got up.

"I'll leave you to your ice cream and go back to cleaning." Paige said before heading back to the living room.

Emily watched Paige's retreating form, disappointed. It was brief but she saw it in Paige's eyes. The girl wanted her. She gave Paige the opening to kiss her back but the girl decided not to make a move and she understood Paige's hesitance. The girl thought not being friends with her would mean not being a part of her life so Paige was trying to be her friend instead. The girl was keeping her word. All or nothing. She's Emily's friend and nothing else.

In the past Emily would have been happy about that. That Paige finally acknowledged the fact that they're friends. But she didn't want Paige to be her friend now. She said stop and now that she wants to go again she doesn't know how to tell Paige. Because while she accused Paige of being a player, right now she's the one playing with Paige's feelings and not the other way around.

* * *

_Eight Years Ago..._

Paige trudged towards her locker, feeling more sluggish than usual. She has a class to get to in a few minutes but she didn't have the energy to hurry up. Lately she's been feeling a lot more pessimistic but she didn't know how to explain it so she kept it to herself. She didn't want Jai and Ria to worry about her. They have enough things to deal with without her adding to the mix. She tried to dial her locker combination and pursed her lips as she concentrated on remembering the numbers.

"Hello, leech." Paige stiffened when she heard Cesca's voice behind her. Slowly turning around, she steeled herself and faced her former friend.

"Excuse me?" Paige asked, wondering why Cesca used that word.

Cesca sneered. "Why do you look surprised? You are, aren't you? A leech?" She repeated, the disdain dripping in her voice.

"I'm not a leech." Paige said, offended.

"Yes you are. You attach yourself to the popular girls and then suck the life out of them." Cesca said accusingly. "You're a leech."

"I'm not a leech." Paige repeated, looking around her for a way out. But everywhere she looked all she saw were girls giving her the same look as Cesca. There was nowhere to run.

"Really. Then explain to me how two of the most popular girls in our school just dropped off the face of the social scene when they began spending more time with you?" Cesca asked, leaning forward so she was practically in Paige's face.

"I- I don't know. Ask them. Why are you complaining anyway?" Paige answered, standing her ground. "You're the most popular girl in school now. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Cesca stepped back, giving Paige an incredulous look. "No. I'm not some shallow girl who wants nothing but popularity. What I want is to have my friends back. We're keeping an eye on you, leech. Just because you got Jai and Ria to side with you doesn't mean we're just going to let you win. They may have abandoned us but we're not doing the same to them because we're their real friends. Sooner or later they're going to realize that they made a mistake leaving us for you and when that day comes, you're going to be alone again." She told Paige matter-of-factly. "Stay the hell away from the other popular kids, leech. You destroy everything you touch. Your parents' marriage is falling apart, Ria's reputation is tainted, and Jai's life here went down the drain. You made the two of them social lepers for associating themselves to you when they should've made you one of us. You're damaged."

"Those things weren't my fault." Paige said weakly, backing away. She couldn't breathe. She really needed to get out of there. She looked wildly around her and finally noticed the exit sign. Without saying anything else, she pushed past Cesca, dropping her things as she bolted for the door.

"Where are you going?! We're not done talking, leech!" Cesca called after Paige for everyone to hear as the girl ran outside the school building.

* * *

_Present Day..._

Paige laid down the flowers on Jai's grave on a Friday afternoon before sitting cross-legged in front of her best friend's marker. She was on her way to the traditional post-Thanksgiving dinner at the Hayes' but she decided to stop by her friend's grave first.

"Hey." Paige began, staring at the name on the marker. "Sorry I haven't visited you in months. I've just been busy at school with studies and sports so I haven't had the chance to go home to Rosewood. But I'm here now. For Thanksgiving break so I'll come visit you everyday that I'm here." She promised.

"So my life in UPenn's not what I expected it to be. I made a friend. Can you believe that?" Paige said, laughing lightly. "Her name's Reese and she's a junior. She also happens to be the team captain of the track team and how we first met isn't exactly normal. But we're friends now. I still miss you though. For years you're the only person I could count on. So even if I made a new friend... it's still not the same." She admitted.

"Oh. Hey. Guess who popped back in my life a few days ago? Cesca Thomas." Paige said wryly. "Yeah. You heard right. And she's friends with Emily now. She still blames me for everything by the way. But don't worry. I won't let her get to me this time." She promised. "She _did_ say something interesting though. And I don't know if I should believe it or think she's just messing with me. Trying to make me doubt you." Paige said, drawing her knees to her chest. "She said you weren't telling me the truth about everything that happened that day. But I guess I'll never find out about it now. It's not like I plan on running into her anytime soon." She added wryly. "All I know is you saved my life that day. And whatever it was you were keeping from me... if you were indeed keeping something... it doesn't change the fact that I'm here because of you. I just wish Cesca's not right. That you're there because of me." She confessed, suddenly feeling guilty.

Paige took a deep breath, wondering if she should continue. She looked around her, making sure no one was listening before speaking again.

"So I've talked about my life in UPenn so far. The trivial things that is. I guess I'm just trying to build the courage to tell you about the biggest thing in my life right now." Paige said, swallowing hard. "It's complicated. So maybe we could pretend, just for a few minutes, that Emily Fields wasn't yours." She began. "I just need someone to talk to right now. So let's pretend that she's not your girlfriend and that you didn't know her."

"You see, I really like this girl. A lot. But I've done a lot of horrible things to her in the past. And though I've been trying to make it up to her, I think when she looks at me she still remembers those things. And I really can't blame her." Paige added wryly. "But just when I thought she'd never feel anything for me the past few weeks have been intense for us. Somewhere along the way she started to like me. And she agreed when I asked to see where things go with us. For four days that is." She said, smiling faintly. "Last week she backed out because she thought I wasn't serious about her. And she wanted to be friends with me but I said I couldn't do that while still having feelings for her. So I made the choice of being a friend and forgetting how I feel instead. I don't want to lose her so I made that decision. But I don't exactly know how to be a friend to someone who I never saw as one."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Paige asked, rubbing the side of her head wearily. "Help me out. You're the smart one. You should be able to help me." She pointed out. "Emily has doubts about me and she doesn't trust me. Do I start with that? Do you think I'd have a chance of getting her back if I do something about that?" She suggested, pausing for a second before shaking her head. "No. Don't give me that advice telling me to just forget about her. That's crappy advice. She frustrates me to no end but at the end of the day it's still her." Paige admitted. "Emily's not someone you'd want to get over if you knew her. Oh. Wait. Who am I kidding? You did. You loved her for three years." She said, reminding herself of the painful reality.

Paige reluctantly stood up, feeling stupid for talking to an empty grave. "I should probably go. I don't want to be late for dinner with your family to which she's going to as well by the way." She added, dusting the back of her jeans. "Thanks for listening to me. Not like you had a choice but still. I miss talking to you, Jai. I know I haven't been honest about Emily. I just don't want you to be mad at me because I'm not sorry I fell for your girlfriend. I know that makes me a horrible friend. But you of all people should understand. You fell for her the same day I did."

* * *

"Good thing you didn't bring your car tonight. I sure could use the long walk after that dinner." Emily confessed as she and Paige slowly walked along the streets of Rosewood later that night.

Paige groaned. "I know. I need to wake up extra early tomorrow to burn off those calories I ingested. Kayla really outdid herself tonight." She said in agreement.

"She did. I'm tempted to suggest earlier that she should just start her own restaurant business and skip college once she graduates but Logan was there." Emily admitted. "Of course I was just kidding. But I don't think Logan's going to see it that way." She added, smiling faintly.

Once the post-Thanksgiving dinner at the Hayes' was over, Paige timidly offered to walk Emily home, wanting to spend more time with the girl even if they're just friends now. She was half expecting Emily to say no considering what happened last night but the girl agreed to it and now they were almost halfway to Emily's house.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. He probably won't. He's still mourning Jai's death." She admitted. "That's why lately Kayla just agrees to what her father asks of her. She thinks Logan expects her to continue Jai's dreams."

"That dinner made us all miss Jai even more." Emily said softly. "I think with the exception of you we were all crying when we went around the table saying what we're thankful for about Jai being a part of our lives." She added, looking at Paige.

"Just because I didn't cry doesn't mean I don't miss her. She was my only friend for so long." Paige confessed, glancing at Emily. "I haven't come home to Rosewood since I started going to UPenn. And I know she died even before I left but being back here... this place isn't really the same without Jai around." She admitted, taking a deep breath and looking around them.

"Yeah. It's not." Emily agreed as they rounded a corner and continued walking in silence.

"Cesca used to be my friend. I lied when I said we never got along." Paige suddenly said, surprising Emily.

Paige realized on her way to the Hayes' earlier that part of the reason why Emily won't believe her is because she won't trust the girl a bit. Tonight she was hoping that by telling Emily a little about herself, she could change the girl's mind about just being friends because she's having a hard time with it.

"I was a loner for most of my life in Girard. When I became Jai's roommate she introduced me to her group of friends and one of them was Cesca." Paige continued, her eyes on the ground. "We used to be close. Cesca and I. I was new to their group but I quickly became friends with her. Other than Jai she was the closest friend I had back then. But eventually she started to resent me."

"Why?" Emily gently asked, not wanting to pressure Paige into telling her everything.

Paige took a deep breath before answering. "Because Jai became closer to me." She revealed. "Before I was friends with them, Cesca and Jai were inseparable. But eventually Jai and I became closer and Cesca felt like I replaced her." Paige explained. "Jai was the most popular girl in school back then. But eventually, being my friend, being associated with me... Jai slowly disappeared from the social scene. Cesca thinks I ruined her life because Jai left and she was left behind." She continued.

"But why does she call you leech?" Emily asked. "You don't have to answer that." She hurriedly added thinking she might be pushing the girl away.

Paige shook her head. "It's okay. You know leeches suck blood out of people. But in my case Cesca thinks I sucked the life out of Jai. She started spending more time with me instead of her old friends. And people started to notice it." She explained, feeling guilty again. "I told Jai her friends were starting to resent me for it but she said I was just being paranoid. She became a social pariah all because she was always by my side. Jai didn't care. But her friends did. Especially Cesca. They started calling me leech behind my back but Cesca was the only one brave enough to say that word to my face." She confessed, sighing. "You should probably take Cesca's advice."

"Advice?" Emily repeated, giving Paige a confused look.

"About you running for the hills before I ruin your life further." Paige clarified. "Let's face it. If I didn't transfer schools, Jai wouldn't have followed me and you two wouldn't have met. You wouldn't have suffered even if Jai still died and maybe... just maybe... Jai would still be alive."

"You shouldn't let her words get to you." Emily said, fighting the urge to take Paige's hand when she saw the girl's forlorn look. "It's how you see things, really. You transferring to Rosewood High, Jai following you, me and Jai falling in love. I had three great years with her and I wouldn't trade that for anything." She insisted. "Some people are thankful you came into their lives, Paige. And that includes me." She admitted; ready to confess to the girl that she wanted to try again.

"You're grateful I came into your life?" Paige asked, surprised. "Since when?"

"Since Jai died and you were there." Emily answered. "I know I wasn't the easiest person to deal with when your best friend died but you still made sure I was going to be okay."

"Well I did promise Jai I was going to look after you. I wasn't going to let my best friend down." Paige pointed out.

"Sorry I wasn't able to keep my end of the deal." Emily said, smiling faintly.

"Nah. It's okay. I told Jai I didn't want you to look after me anyway." Paige admitted. "I like taking care of you." She said, looking at the girl.

Emily swallowed hard. _Now's your chance. Tell her_. "Paige..."

"Those cornbreads Kayla made by the way still didn't surpass Jai's. They came close but Jai's were better." Paige suddenly said, trying to bring the conversation back to her friend. Just now it seemed like Emily was going to remind her that they're just friends and she didn't want the girl to say it.

"Yeah." Emily agreed, losing her nerve. She didn't really want to think about Jai right now. The entire day was about missing Jai and she didn't want to think about Jai while she's contemplating how to tell Paige she wanted to try again.

"That's the one thing Jai can cook better than Kayla." Paige continued, oblivious to Emily's inner turmoil. "But then again, that's Jai. Always better at something than someone else who's already good at it." She said wryly.

"Can we please stop talking about Jai?" Emily pleaded anxiously, making Paige look at her in surprise.

"Sorry." Paige said when she noticed the girl's distress. "I didn't know you wanted to forget about her."

"I don't. I didn't mean it like that." Emily began. "It's just that... we've been thinking and talking about her all day. It's just us now. I don't want to think about Jai right now." She explained.

"Oh. Okay." Paige agreed and they continued to walk in silence until they finally reached Emily's house. "I'll wait until you get inside." She offered.

"Do you want to come in?" Emily asked timidly. "I have the place to myself tonight." She added, mentally kicking herself for saying that. _It shouldn't matter_.

"Um." Paige uttered, uncertain as to why Emily would invite her in.

"Just for a while." Emily added, trying hard not to sound desperate.

"Okay." Paige finally answered.

Emily nodded and took the keys out of her pocket to open the front door. _This is it_. She's wanted to kiss Paige since Wednesday night and she can't stand it anymore. Being this close to the girl and not touch her. She turned to look at Paige and then past the girl, checking to see if anyone's looking. When she was sure that the coast was clear, she took Paige's hand and firmly pulled the girl inside with her.

The instant Emily grabbed her hand, Paige's pulse quickened. Emily never held her hand before. They've held hands... but Emily never took hers. Once she entered the girl's house she knew something was going to happen. She watched as Emily locked the door behind her, never letting go of her hand. By now Paige was sure she was working on autopilot. All she could think about was Emily holding her hand and guiding the way upstairs. Her heart was beating so fast Emily could probably hear it.

Once they were on even ground, just outside of Emily's room, Paige mustered the courage to close the distance between them, stepping forward and removing her hand from Emily's. She wrapped her arms around the girl's slim waist from behind and rested her chin on Emily's shoulder before taking a deep breath, her stomach fluttering when her cheek made contact with Emily's soft skin when the girl turned her head slightly to look at her.

"Are you sure?" Paige whispered after standing outside Emily's room for a minute. She didn't think she could take it if the girl wanted out again.

Emily nodded wordlessly before opening the door to her room and stepping inside first. She let Paige lock the door behind them and she nervously faced the girl, fully aware that they were alone as they stared at each other in the dark room in silence.

"Thanks for telling me those things." Emily finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know it couldn't have been easy for you." She added softly.

Paige nodded. "It wasn't." She admitted, her gaze never leaving Emily's.

"So why did you do it?" Emily asked, taking a small step towards Paige.

"I just... I thought... maybe if I said something... about me... that I could change your mind about us." Paige confessed, her voice hoarse. "I know you have a lot of questions. And that I have a lot of secrets... about my past. My life. But I can't share them all with you. Not yet." She admitted. She wanted to clear the air. Give Emily the chance to tell her to leave.

"I know. And I'll wait until you're ready." Emily answered, making Paige let out a short laugh in relief.

Paige stepped forward and grabbed Emily's hand to pull the girl close to her, wrapping her right arm around Emily's waist while intertwining her left hand with the girl's right. She rested her forehead on Emily's shoulder, reveling in the feel of the girl's body against hers. She missed holding Emily in her arms. "I don't want to be just your friend, Em." She whispered brokenly. "I really tried. But I can't. I don't want to."

Emily smiled and removed her hand from Paige's so she can wrap her arms around the girl. "Good. Because I don't want to be just your friend either." She confessed, hugging Paige back.

Paige moved her head and met Emily's eyes. "All or nothing?" She whispered as she held her breath. If they do this, there's no going back.

"All or nothing." Emily repeated to Paige's elation and before the girl knew it, Emily closed the distance between them and started kissing Paige hungrily, seemingly trying to make up for lost time.

Paige held Emily closer to her, kissing the girl back with as much intensity. She parted her lips, allowing Emily's tongue to seek its mate and she moved her hand to cup the girl's cheek as she deepened the kiss, trying to convey to Emily how much she wanted this.

"I missed you." Emily whispered achingly when they briefly came up for air.

Paige gently cradled Emily's cheek and caressed it as she stared into the girl's eyes. "I missed you too." She whispered before capturing Emily's lips on hers again.

They blindly made their way towards Emily's bed and finally found it when Emily fell backwards and Paige ended up lying on top of her. Emily laughed and Paige smiled above her, seemingly memorizing every inch of the girl's face.

"_Em_." Paige whispered before burying her head on the crook of Emily neck.

The way her name sounded from the girl's lips made Emily's heart hammer. There was something about the way Paige always uttered her name. Like the girl was conveying every emotion she felt when she says it. And right now Paige said it with so much longing and desire that Emily knew things were going to get more intense if she didn't say anything.

"Paige." Emily uttered hoarsely when the girl began depositing soft kisses on her neck.

"Yeah?" Paige said, her hand blindly finding Emily's and she intertwined them as she continued kissing the girl.

"I'm not... ready." Emily finally said.

Paige lifted her head and stared into Emily's eyes, nodding to tell the girl she understood. She took a deep breath as she tried to control her hormones.

"Are you okay with just kissing?" Emily asked uncertainly.

Paige nodded again, trying to find her voice. She tenderly brushed a strand of hair away from Emily's eyes before speaking. "We've done that before. Kiss for hours." She reminded Emily. "I'm okay with kissing."

Emily smiled. "Then do it already." She commanded, pulling the girl close to her.

Paige slightly parted her lips as soon as Emily's met hers and she slowly slid her right leg in between Emily's, their bodies now merely separated by thin layers of fabric. Emily wrapped her arms around Paige's neck as their kisses slowly intensified, allowing herself to be pulled closer as the girl held her by the waist, the space between them non-existent that they could feel their hearts beating wildly against their chests. Nothing else seemed to matter beyond the four walls of Emily's room as the rest of the world faded away and the only sound that can be heard if you listen hard enough is the beating of a heart on the verge of falling in love.


	18. sic infit : chapter viii

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

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_**Thanks for all the reviews!**_

_**EyeOpener16, Nae10, Rachel Manlop, DevAdeL and beesbee11... Thanks for the PM.**_

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**PART TWO: "Sic Infit"**

_~ So it begins. ~_

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**CHAPTER EIGHT**

_One Year Ago..._

Paige stood outside Emily's kitchen door and shifted the heavy paper bag she was carrying in her arms, trying not to drop any of the contents before knocking on one of the glass panes again. She may have been standing on the same spot for a few minutes but with the weight of the paper bag bearing on her arms, it felt like hours. Starting to get impatient, Paige pressed her nose on the glass and tried to peer inside, looking for signs of life in the kitchen and when she couldn't find any, decided to entertain herself by fogging up the glass panes with her warm breath.

"Just sit tight and I'll make us another batch!" Paige stopped what she was doing when she heard Emily's voice and quickly closed her mouth when she realized it was wide open. She peered inside again and finally saw the girl emerge with a white ceramic bowl in one hand from behind the swing door that led to the living room. Paige watched Emily quickly pocket the phone she was holding in her other hand and deposit the bowl on the kitchen countertop before heading towards her.

"What took you so long?!" Emily said in greeting, her voice barely above a whisper as she took the brown paper bag Paige was handing to her from outside.

"I could ask you the same thing! I sent that text twenty minutes ago telling you I'm here and now I can't feel my arms!" Paige complained, shaking her hands vigorously in front of her to regain some feeling in her limbs.

"Well I was waiting for them to finish the second bowl of popcorn I made so I could offer to make a third batch and have a reason to come in here! What's your excuse?" Emily asked before moving to let the girl in.

"There was a long line at the grocery!" Paige explained, now stretching her arms above her head and bending from side to side. "You've known those girls for years. How come you didn't buy all of this food beforehand?" She asked in a low voice as she finally stepped inside the warm kitchen and gently closed the door behind her.

"I may have known them for years but I'm their friend, not their nutritionist. It's not like I watch what they eat. These cravings didn't really come up until tonight." Emily replied, heading for the kitchen counter to place the paper bag on top of it. She hastily took out the items from inside the bag one by one, checking off the list in her head as she did so. "M&Ms raspberry, soft pretzels, chocolate pudding, potato chips... where's the honey mustard dip? You forgot the honey mustard dip!" She exclaimed, staring at Paige incredulously.

"What? No I didn't!" Paige protested, quickly walking over to Emily and rummaging inside the paper bag. "Oh crap."

"You need to go back." Emily said, giving the girl a pointed look.

Paige felt her eyes widen in horror. "_For a bottle of dip?_ No way. Go there yourself." She replied, shaking her head vehemently. "I'm not going back to that place again. It feels like every single person in Rosewood with the exception of you and your friends is there tonight. Just serve them regular mustard or suggest dipping the pretzel in the pudding or something. Why does it have to be honey mustard? Did your friends get knocked up simultaneously?" She asked, looking at the swing door.

"My friends aren't pregnant. Just really picky on movie night." Emily explained, looking behind her as well. Technically she was cheating tonight. She was supposed to have all of these in her cupboard or fridge but all she had were marshmallows, frozen pizza, microwave popcorn and a jar of pickles.

"Do you want me to swing by the drugstore this time to buy some antacids as well in case one of you gets indigestion?" Paige offered with a straight face. "Are you even going to eat all of this? I've been to that store twice already. Are you absolutely certain your friends aren't carrying quadruplets?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "You're hilarious. Maybe you should take your own advice and try a career in standup comedy." She shot back dryly. "We're going to be up the entire night. Trust me. We're going to get to the bottom of this pile of food."

Paige sighed. "Fine. I guess I'm going back to the store and help you and your friends commit gluttony tonight." She said, conceding. "No need. I still have some money left from the one you gave me earlier." She added when she saw that Emily was about to get some cash from the pocket of her white cotton shorts. "But after this we better call it quits. That favor I asked was a one-time thing!"

"So is this." Emily pointed out.

"Um, I beg to differ. I've been running all over town the whole night buying what your friends crave. How is that a one-time thing?! Do your part!" Paige demanded.

"What do you mean?" Emily said in reply, giving Paige a confused look.

"Just guess the damn common theme between those movies so I can go home." Paige clarified.

"Believe me. I'm trying but I can't figure it out. It's not like I'm not trying." Emily said defensively.

"Well what are the three films?" Paige asked in a low voice. "Maybe I can help."

"We just finished watching Changing Lanes. The next one's Amistad then Cape Fear." Emily revealed.

Paige narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in concentration. "Try vengeance." She suggested after a few seconds.

"What?" Emily uttered, giving Paige a hesitant look.

"The common theme. Try vengeance." Paige repeated.

"I… don't know." Emily slowly said, biting her bottom lip as she contemplated Paige's answer.

"It's not like they're going to hang you upside down if your first guess is wrong. You have the whole night to do that. Just try vengeance first." Paige insisted.

"Fine." Emily finally said in agreement. There's really no harm in trying.

"Okay. I'll try to be back in thirty. Forty-five at most. Just tell them you can't find the mustard or something. Tell them to eat that frozen pizza of yours or whip massive batches of popcorn for them until I come back." Paige suggested, turning around to head back outside.

"Thanks for this." Emily called out before Paige could leave the kitchen.

Paige shrugged. "Yeah well thanks for agreeing to pretend to be my girlfriend for the entire day last week." She said, giving the girl a faint smile. "I know it was the last thing you wanted to do so thanks."

"You're Jai's best friend. Of course I'd do it. How did that one turn out by the way? Did it work? Did she buy it?" Emily asked eagerly.

"Oh yeah. Totally. Your acting as my overly jealous girlfriend was _superb_. She thought you were really going to slap her with a restraining order if she didn't stop following us around." Paige admitted, grinning.

"Good." Emily said, smiling in return.

"You're scary when you're jealous by the way." Paige added, shuddering for effect. "I wouldn't want to be in Jai's shoes."

"It's called method acting, Paige." Emily pointed out wryly. "I wasn't that scary. I don't even know how to be jealous when it comes to Jai since she doesn't get jealous when it comes to me either."

"I guess she's lucky then." Paige commented, giving the girl a faint smile. "Well I better go before the store closes." She suddenly said, clearing her throat awkwardly when a moment of silence passed between them. She gave Emily a small wave goodbye before opening the kitchen door and heading out.

* * *

_Present Day..._

"Did anyone see you?" Emily asked anxiously, grabbing Paige by the hand to help the girl get inside her room on Sunday night.

"Hello to you too." Paige answered teasingly, leaning forward to give Emily a quick kiss on the lips once her feet landed inside the girl's room. She turned around to close the window behind her to keep the cold from getting in before facing Emily again.

"I'm serious. Did anyone see you?" Emily repeated, moving to take a look outside her window.

"No. No one saw me." Paige promised, taking Emily's hand and leading the girl away from the window. She took off the backpack she was wearing and deposited it on Emily's bed before opening it to take out the contents. "So I got you the usual. There's M&Ms raspberry, soft pretzels, chocolate pudding, potato chips _and_... honey mustard dip." Paige revealed, producing the jar of condiment with a flourish. "I've got you covered tonight. I even bought antacids just in case but I can't seem to remember where I put them. Just rummage the pockets of the bag later."

"You know you didn't have to do this." Emily pointed out quietly, glancing at the pile of food on her bed before meeting Paige's eyes.

"I know. But I wanted to. It's our last night here in Rosewood and I won't be able to see you again until tomorrow morning so I decided to drop by before your friends come over for movie night." Paige explained, brushing a strand of hair away from the girl's eyes. "I swear you have the cutest dimples I've ever seen in a girl." She suddenly said when Emily grinned, poking her finger playfully on one of the girl's cheeks before leaning forward and depositing a kiss on the spot, making Emily blush furiously that Paige noticed it despite the darkness in the room.

"Thanks for coming over and bringing all of this." Emily said when she found her voice, gesturing towards her bed.

Paige nodded. "I saw your mom in the living room before I climbed that tree outside. Did you lock your door?" She asked, looking past Emily for a second.

"Yeah. Once I got your text." Emily replied.

"Good." Paige whispered before claiming Emily's lips with hers. She sat on the girl's bed and placed her hands on Emily's hips when the girl sat on her lap, leaning forward to deepen their kiss when Emily slightly parted her soft lips. "Can I give you a ride back to UPenn tomorrow morning?" She asked in-between kisses.

Emily nodded. "Spencer hasn't asked me to ride with her and Connor." She whispered, cupping Paige's cheek as their lips met and parted again and again.

Paige slowly leaned backwards to lie down on Emily's bed just as the sound of the doorbell resonated in the entire house but neither of them seemed to hear it. She firmly pulled Emily towards her, meeting the girl's lips urgently this time as their kisses intensified. She lightly rested her hand on Emily's back, just below the hem of the girl's shirt, and let it linger there for a few seconds before slowly slipping her hand underneath, conscious that her palm just made contact with Emily's bare skin when the girl didn't react.

"Sweetie, your friends are here." Pam Fields called out from behind Emily's bedroom door, knocking once before trying to open it.

Emily's eyes snapped open and she sat up straight, her pulse racing for several reasons. "I'll be right out, mom!" She called out, amazed that her voice sounded normal. "Tell them I'm just changing." She added before moving to stand up and fix her top, running a hand through her hair several times as she looked at Paige anxiously. She was aware that her skin was still tingling on the spot where the girl's hand was a few seconds ago.

"I guess that's my cue to leave." Paige said in a low voice as she got up as well. "I'll see you tomorrow morning." She whispered, kissing Emily on the cheek before heading for the window again.

"Careful." Emily blurted out, firmly grabbing Paige's arm as the girl tried to find her footing on a sturdy tree branch before starting to make her way outside Emily's room.

"Hey. Don't look so worried." Paige told the girl when she saw the agitation in Emily's eyes. "I'm used to climbing trees." She promised, grinning.

_Not really the reason but..._ "Yeah." Emily said, forcing a smile on her lips. She waited until Paige's head disappeared from view before wiping the smile off her lips, her face now showing the guilt and sadness she felt that the girl can't even properly come and go in her house.

"Emily!" Pam called out, knocking on the door urgently this time.

Emily sighed. Apparently her mom didn't hear her reply earlier. "I'm coming, mom!" She replied, louder this time.

Taking one last look outside her bedroom window, Emily finally closed it and headed back to her bed. She quickly returned inside the backpack the pile of food Paige brought and slung one strap over her shoulder before she made her way to the door. Tomorrow morning can't come soon enough. She couldn't wait to get back to UPenn. Maybe things will be a little easier there.

* * *

"I strongly suggest that you miss this class too." Paige muttered, immediately leaning forward when Emily wrapped her arms tighter around her neck before kissing the girl on the lips again. "Then I'll miss all of mine in the afternoon. Let's just spend the entire day in my apartment doing this." She added, parting her lips.

"Don't tempt me." Emily whispered, deepening their kiss.

It was Monday morning and the two girls have just gotten back to UPenn from their Thanksgiving break. Since they left Rosewood later than expected and Emily already missed two of her classes, Paige offered to drive the girl to her last class for the day after they dropped off Kayla in Girard. Emily agreed on the condition that Paige dropped her off in a secluded area near her class since the ground rules still applied to them and the girl readily agreed. Because Paige didn't mind. In fact, she was counting on that.

"Why? Am I about to convince you?" Paige asked before starting to leave a trail of soft kisses from Emily's jawline to her neck.

"Maybe." Emily replied, making Paige laugh.

"Come on. Say yes. This is the first time since we got back together that we're spending the day apart for hours. I don't want you to go." Paige admitted, brushing a strand of hair away from the girl's eyes as Emily shifted from her position on Paige's lap in the driver's seat of the girl's SUV.

"I know but I can't afford to miss this class." Emily confessed, leaning forward to make it seem like she was going to kiss Paige before pulling back at the last second, making the girl groan in frustration.

"Well can you be late?" Paige asked, kissing Emily on the cheek. "Like thirty minutes?"

Emily laughed. "Paige that's like missing half of my class." She pointed out.

"Twenty-five?" Paige suggested.

"Five." Emily bargained.

"Hours?! Oh I'm _so_ driving us back to my apartment right now!" Paige exclaimed eagerly, moving to start her car but Emily quickly grabbed her hand to stop her.

"More like minutes." Emily continued, grinning at Paige.

"I know. Can't blame a girl for trying though." Paige said, intertwining their hands. "I wish we were still on Thanksgiving break back in Rosewood." She admitted, staring at their hands.

"I think my bed has an imprint of our asses and our backs." Emily reminded the girl. "It's time we got back here."

"Tell me you don't miss being in your room with me." Paige challenged.

Emily shook her head. "I don't. I'd rather be in your apartment." She answered, staring at their hands as well.

"Then can we have lunch later?" Paige asked optimistically. "I'm pretty sure my couch missed us too. And my bed."

Emily felt her stomach churn when she heard those words. "I should probably grab lunch with Spence. I already caught a ride back here with you. I don't want her to suspect anything." She explained, giving Paige an apologetic look that she hoped would be enough to hide her anxiety.

Paige nodded understandingly. "Okay. Dinner then. Can we have dinner?" She suggested.

"I want to say yes but I still don't know what my day's going to be like." Emily replied, shifting on Paige's lap. Suddenly she wasn't so comfortable with their position. "Rain check?"

"Ugh. I hate being back in UPenn." Paige complained, kissing Emily's hand.

Emily couldn't help but smile when she felt Paige's soft lips on her skin. "I'm sure you'll live. I gotta go. Five minutes are up." She added after glancing at her watch.

Paige nodded and grabbed Emily's arm when the girl moved to get up. "Hey. Not so fast. Aren't you forgetting something?" She asked, giving Emily a teasing smile as she waited for the girl to kiss her goodbye. When Emily didn't move, Paige took the initiative and closed the distance between them, kissing the girl softly on the lips. "For the road." She said before kissing Emily on the cheek. She helped the girl alight from her car and handed Emily her books and shoulder bag from the passenger seat. "I'll come by the café later to bring the rest of your things to you. I still have to bring Kayla's to her apartment."

"Okay." Emily agreed. "I'll see you later." She said before leaving to make her way to class.

Paige waited until Emily left her sight before starting her car and buckling her seatbelt. _That's weird. Well not really_. But she didn't notice it until now. It's probably nothing but ever since they got back together, Emily never kissed her first. Not that she had a big problem with it. She just couldn't help but think that the girl wasn't telling her something. Paige sighed, wondering what's going on with Emily this time. She took out her phone from the front pocket of her jeans and sent a message to the girl before shifting the gear to drive and heading for her apartment.

* * *

Emily quickly made her way to her Comparative Literature class which was on the third floor of Williams Hall, aware that she was already more than five minutes late and she was still on the second floor. She slightly shifted the books she was carrying in her right hand to have a better grip on them before moving to take her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans when she felt it vibrate, trying to read the message while making her way down the hall.

_I miss you already._

Emily felt her lips curl into a smile when she read Paige's simple message and hurriedly composed a reply. She was about to press 'send' when she collided into someone, the impact with which their bodies met making her drop her books and her phone fell on the ground before sliding a few steps away from her.

"Oh god I'm so sorry!" The person exclaimed but Emily vaguely heard it as she stared at her phone in dismay. She saw a girl hastily walk over to her phone and she crouched to pick up her books off the floor, torn between being angry at the girl or herself for not looking where she was going.

"Emily?" Emily looked up when she heard her name and found herself staring into a familiar pair of deep emerald eyes.

"Gary." Emily uttered, standing up slowly before taking her phone back from the girl.

"It's still working." Gary informed the girl as she nodded her head towards the phone. "Sorry. I was in a bit of a hurry."

"Me too. I wasn't watching where I was going." Emily admitted, returning her phone in the back pocket of her jeans.

"You on your way to a class?" Gary asked, her gaze drifting to the books in Emily's hand.

Emily nodded. "Running late actually." She added.

"You're not the only one. I've been auditing a class that I was thinking of taking up next sem and I woke up late." Gary confessed, heading for a set of stairs the same time Emily did. "So how was your Thanksgiving break?"

"Great." Emily answered, her thoughts immediately drifting to Paige. "Yours?" She asked out of courtesy.

"Same as all the previous Thanksgiving breaks I've had. Dull." Gary revealed. "Actually, I'm glad I ran into you. Not literally 'cos I think my shoulder might be dislocated right now." She said, smiling. "I was planning to call you later. I'm going to this gala event tomorrow night outside campus to talk to some well-connected people about MARC. Do you know of it?"

Emily racked her brain for the meaning of those letters. "Uh is that the marketing, advertising..."

"And retailing conference. Yeah that's the one. You know of MUSE's activities. I'm impressed." Gary commented, looking at Emily with open admiration. "It's going to be held next semester and I'm still working on trying to convince several companies to participate. I was thinking of asking you to come as my plus one."

"Tomorrow night? Um, I don't know about that. I might be busy." Emily replied, trying to think of a solid excuse.

"Already?" Gary said, giving Emily a surprised look. "We've been back barely a day on campus. Come on. This'll be the rain check for that coffee or dinner two weeks ago." She reminded the girl as they continued to walk towards the same direction. "And honestly, it's a perfect opportunity for you to see how our organization functions since you're joining our ranks next sem."

"I haven't decided on that yet." Emily pointed out.

"Well I'm sure going with me will help you decide. What do you say?" Gary asked, looking at Emily expectantly.

"I really can't say yes right now. Like you said, we've barely been back a day." Emily replied apologetically, increasing her pace when she saw her room not far ahead.

"Well I also said that I rarely take no for an answer so I'm going to wait until the last minute before I give up trying to get you to come with me." Gary said resolutely, following Emily.

_Perfect_. "Where are you going?" Emily asked, keeping the surprise and mild panic out of her voice when she noticed that the girl was about to enter the room with her.

"I've been allowed to audit this class every now and then since the beginning of the sem." Gary explained. "Where are _you_ going?"

"I've been taking this class." Emily replied, now wishing that she was back in that car with Paige instead so she can say yes when the girl suggests that she miss this class as well.

"Huh. I can't believe I haven't noticed you before. I guess it _is_ better late than never." Gary commented, moving to let Emily walk in first with an eager smile on her lips.

* * *

"You didn't make a move? You had several days in Rosewood with her without that Gary Chambers lurking around and delivering bouquets of flowers at her feet and you seriously didn't make a move?" Reese asked incredulously.

"Okay for the record? It's just _one_ bouquet. Gary gave her _one_ bouquet and I still choose to believe that Emily didn't like what Gary pulled." Paige began, not telling her friend that she _did_ ask Emily about the flowers again and the girl admitted that she was just hurt that Paige didn't seem to care that someone else was interested in her. That's why she pretended she liked it. "But yeah. I didn't make a move. Like you said, I've been friend-zoned. I'm not going to embarrass myself and continue pursuing her." She lied. "We barely saw each other during the break anyway. She was busy catching up with her other friends and I was busy training." She added before taking another bite out of the green apple she was eating.

The two girls were currently seated on one of the benches around the quadrangle, having lunch while exchanging stories about what each of them did during the short break. Paige was trying her best not to stir Reese's suspicion that she and Emily were back to sneaking around since the girl admitted two weeks ago that she knew Paige was lying the first time. Emily still didn't want anyone else to know that they were seeing each other non-exclusively and Paige planned on making sure that things work out between them this time. She won't screw up.

"I don't know if I should commend you for your iron will or smack you in the head for your idiocy." Reese said, looking at Paige thoughtfully. "You're really okay with just being friends with her?"

Paige nodded. "I don't want to lose her and she said she's not ready. I don't plan on forcing the issue. I'm not saying I'm giving up, though." She hurriedly said when she caught Reese's suspicious look. "I'd give it a few months or weeks until I try again but for now it's better this way. Maybe I'll meet someone else in the meantime." She added, looking around the quad. "So how's your break?" Paige asked, changing the subject before taking a bite of her apple again.

"Awesome. Got the chance to spend time with my cousins and I think I just converted some of them into future tri-athletes." Reese said proudly. "Which reminds me. You haven't joined a triathlon since you set foot in UPenn." She pointed out. "There are several upcoming races next year and I plan on joining them. Help me prepare for the regionals in April. Want to join me? You're competing under the U23 bracket now, right?"

"Yeah. I finished my Junior Elite status so now I'm in the Under 23 bracket." Paige confirmed.

"Well I'm still under U23 too. It'd be cool if we could join a few races together." Reese admitted. "I really want both of us to qualify for the WTS."

"But that's not until next, next year. Wouldn't you have graduated by then? What about your career?" Paige asked, looking at Reese curiously.

"I talked to my granddad and dad about that. They agreed to let me focus on being a tri-athlete for a couple of years before I have to work in our company but it's on the condition that I take up a master's degree while doing so." Reese confessed. "A lot happened during the break." She added when she saw Paige's surprised look.

"I gotta say. I kinda envy you right now. I still don't know what concentration to take." Paige admitted. "I like the idea of being able to create jobs in unlikely areas so I'm leaning towards SIR but I'm starting to think Wharton isn't really for me. I might..."

"What?" Reese urged when Paige suddenly trailed off. She looked around the quad, trying to see what caught the girl's attention. "Do you want to leave?" She asked when she saw who Paige was looking at.

Paige watched as Emily walked up to Spencer with Gary in tow inside Café McClelland, wondering how the girl and Emily's paths crossed considering they've just been back in UPenn half a day.

"No. It's fine." Paige finally answered, looking away. She understood Emily's reason for wanting to have lunch with Spencer today because the truth was the girl didn't spend that much time with her friends during the break. Emily made up several excuses so they could lock themselves inside the girl's bedroom every chance they got. "It's fine." She repeated when she saw Reese's concerned look.

"You don't have to hide your jealousy when you're with me, you know?" Reese reminded the girl. "You still like her. It's understandable that you're not thrilled to see her walking around campus with Gary."

Paige smiled faintly. "Let's just finish eating lunch so we can head to our respective classes." She suggested, trying to dismiss the subject.

"It's a Monday so I only have one class today, newbie. And it's not until two." Reese added, checking the time on her watch.

Paige got up. "Well I guess I'm going to go ahead then." She decided, unable to handle being there while Emily spent time with Gary.

One of the reasons why she and Emily didn't work out the first time was because she was jealous. Emily told her before that she didn't like jealousy in her relationship if it causes fights and drama. She's trying her best to hide that side of her when it came to Emily since the last time she showed it, the girl ended up calling things off between them. She wasn't going to let that happen again. They've been in a good place for a while now. She intended on keeping it that way.

"Hey wait for me!" Reese exclaimed, getting up as well. "I'm not sitting here in the quad by myself." She said, jogging a few steps to catch up to Paige. She linked her arm around the girl's and nudged Paige gently. "Don't worry about it, newbie. These things tend to sort themselves out. Emily will come to her senses."

* * *

"Gary Chambers this is one of my best friends, Spencer Hastings. Spence, this is Gary. She's the president of MUSE Penn." Emily added as she made the introductions, fighting to keep her expression neutral when she suddenly saw Paige and Reese having lunch just outside the café.

"So you're the president of _the_ marketing org on campus." Emily heard Spencer say to Gary as they settled on the chairs in front of her friend, her eyes still trained on Paige and Reese. She watched as the girl got up like Paige was about to leave and just when she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Paige suddenly met her gaze head on and she just knew the reason why Paige was leaving was because she saw her with Gary. She knew she shouldn't feel guilty. They still weren't exclusive and she wasn't doing anything wrong. She was really meeting Spencer for lunch. Gary just happened to tag along.

Once their class was over, Gary asked if she had plans for lunch and when Emily said that she was meeting a friend at the quad, the girl asked if she could join them. Emily didn't exactly know how to say no to that. What excuse to use. _Sorry but you can't. My friend experiences rage blackouts whenever I bring someone along?_ Emily mentally shook her head, trying to forget about Paige as she focused on the two girls seated around the table with her.

"Most days I am. But right now I'm just a regular woman hoping to get this gorgeous lady sitting next to me to say yes to going as my plus one tomorrow night." Gary revealed, giving Emily a flirtatious smile.

Emily faintly smiled at the girl in return, wondering how she could say 'no' since Gary doesn't seem to know the meaning of the word.

"Maybe you could help me out. Convince your friend here to come with me to a gala event." Gary continued, returning her attention to Spencer. "I have to mingle with board of directors, presidents and CEOs of various companies all night so I could use a gorgeous lady on my arm who can hold an intellectual conversation with these people. Impress them so they'll participate in the MARC event MUSE is holding next year."

_And... now I know why she wanted to come along_. Emily thought, torn between being impressed or annoyed. Gary sure was persistent and resourceful.

Spencer narrowed her eyes at the girl. "Gary Chambers. Were you the one who had flowers delivered to Emily in her class?" She suddenly asked, the real reason why the name sounded familiar finally registering to her.

"That would be me." Gary admitted, giving the girl a slight nod.

Spencer smiled. "Then I will gladly help you convince my friend to say yes to that date." She promised, much to Emily's dismay. "Hand me your phone."

Gary took the phone out of her clutch bag and handed it to Spencer. "Great. I'm going to go ahead of you ladies then. I still have a real class I need to get to. I just wanted to meet one of Emily's friends." She said, proving Emily's hunch before taking her phone from Spencer again. "Thanks in advance." She told the girl. "And I really hope you listen to your friend. I want to see you tomorrow night all glammed up." She said to Emily before getting up and sauntering away, turning heads as she did so.

"I like her." Spencer commented as she watched Gary exit the café. She was surprised when Emily entered the place earlier with a girl in tow. It's barely been a day since they returned from Rosewood and already her friend was reconnecting with someone she met before the break. This was a good sign.

"Well then by all means. Dump Connor and go out with her 'cos I don't plan to." Emily replied before Spencer could start pleading Gary's case.

"Why don't you want to go? It's a gala event. You get to dress up and interact with fancy people. If you don't have a formal dress in your closet you can just rent one." Spencer pointed out, taking a sip of her water before going back to finishing her sandwich.

"I have a formal dress. I just don't want to go." Emily admitted.

"Why?" Spencer asked, pausing mid bite as she waited for Emily to explain.

"Because I know it's supposed to be a date and I don't want to go on a date. Besides. She's not my type." Emily revealed, looking down to study the menu on their table despite not being hungry.

"Since when did you have a type? Other than Jai you haven't been with anyone else." Spencer reminded her friend.

"Since recently." Emily answered vaguely, refusing to meet Spencer's curious stare.

"Are you already seeing someone? Is that why you won't say yes?" Spencer suddenly asked, making Emily look up at her in surprise.

"Why would you ask me that?" Emily said in reply, her heartbeat slightly quickening.

Spencer shrugged. "I don't know. It's just that I rarely saw you before the break. Like you were always out and then you come back really late." She admitted.

"Like you don't?" Emily shot back, going on the defense.

"Because I have a boyfriend. That's why I was asking if you're seeing someone. Because you behave like I do." Spencer pointed out.

"I'm not seeing anyone. I'm just busy with my MGMT100 project." Emily explained, immediately feeling guilty again.

"Well there's no reason why you can't go out with Gary then. I think it's a great opportunity." Spencer admitted. "Never mind that it's a date. You're not going to die just because you went out with her once. That gala is a good chance for you to familiarize yourself with the who's who in the world of marketing and business. You should really accept Gary's invite."

Emily sighed, knowing her friend had a point. "Okay. I'll think about it." She finally said before going back to studying the menu absentmindedly.

* * *

Paige casually entered Café Prima that afternoon and fixed the strap of Emily's duffel bag on her shoulder before heading straight for the counter when she saw the girl standing behind it. There weren't that many customers so Emily wasn't doing anything besides refilling the container of sugar packets.

"Hey." Paige said in greeting once she was within hearing distance of the girl. Usually Emily looked up once the door to the café opened but the girl seemed preoccupied right now.

"Hey." Emily repeated, smiling when she saw Paige. She looked behind the girl and noticed that Reese wasn't around. "Where's your shadow?"

Paige laughed. "Funny." She commented dryly. "I'm not staying. I'm going upstairs to Reese's room. I told her to go ahead since I was dropping this off." She explained, gesturing to Emily's duffel bag.

"Right. Uh, we should probably put that in the back room." Emily suggested when she caught Paige's meaningful look.

Paige nodded and walked over to the other side of the counter to follow Emily inside. "Where should I put this?" She asked, looking around.

Emily loosely held Paige's hand and led the girl deeper inside the room. "Here." She said, gesturing to a wooden chair with its back against the wall.

Paige deposited the bag on top of it before looking at Emily, smiling when she realized they were still holding hands. "So…"

"So." Emily repeated. "Why are you going upstairs with Reese?" She asked, trying to seem curious and not jealous.

Paige intertwined their hands. "We're going to..."

"Hang out." Emily said the same time Paige did. "Why can't you do that here? There's plenty of space. You can even occupy different loveseats." She pointed out. "Do you need to be in a room with a bed to hang out?"

Paige leaned forward and gave Emily a quick kiss on the lips, pulling back with a huge grin on her face. The girl was obviously jealous but she had a feeling if she pointed that out now Emily won't take it so well. "If I stay here I won't be able to stop staring at you." She admitted. "I'll do my homework upstairs while Reese takes a power nap then come back here once your shift ends." She promised. "Um... do you want to have dinner then go to my place after?" Paige asked timidly.

Emily gave the girl a wary look. "Paige..."

"No! No! I'm not trying to get you alone." Paige hurriedly said when she noticed that Emily was starting to get anxious for some reason.

"You're not?" Emily asked, not knowing how to react to that.

"I mean I am. But not for that. I..." Paige exhaled, trying to gather her thoughts. "I just... I meant I'm not trying to get you alone because I expect something to happen. I just want to have dinner with you. That's it." She explained.

"Oh. I'm meeting Spencer after my shift. We made plans to have dinner tonight." Emily admitted.

"But you already had lunch with her. And Gary." Paige pointed out.

"I knew you were going to bring that up." Emily said, starting to feel stressed out.

"No, Em, I'm not trying to pick a fight. I'm not even jealous." Paige hurriedly added. "I just meant you've already shared a meal with other people today. I was hoping tonight we can have dinner. It's our first day back on campus and the last time we had dinner here in Philly it didn't really go well. I was hoping we could change that tonight."

"I know. I want that too. But I already made plans with Spence. I don't want to cancel on her." Emily explained apologetically.

"Right. Okay. Some other time then." Paige said, shrugging. "Maybe tomorrow night instead. It's not that big of a deal."

"Paige, I..." Emily trailed off when she saw the disappointment written all over the girl's face. She was getting good at reading what Paige was feeling when the girl lets her.

"Em, it's fine. It's just dinner." Paige insisted, squeezing the girl's hand reassuringly.

Emily sighed. "Promise to get me home at a decent hour." She said, finally conceding. "I don't want Spencer to suspect anything."

"We've barely hung out the first time we were sneaking around and even then she didn't know you were spending time with me. How could Spencer know something's up between us?" Paige asked, giving the girl a confused smile.

"She just does." Emily answered vaguely. She didn't want Paige to know that she was having a hard time or the girl might get the wrong idea. She really wanted to continue seeing her.

"Okay. So what do you want to have for dinner?" Paige asked, deciding to drop the matter for now. "We could have dinner at Mix, A Mandarin..."

"I was thinking we could have dinner at your place instead." Emily interjected.

"Um... takeout. Yeah. Okay. We can do that." Paige agreed, momentarily forgetting that they were making plans while standing inside a cramped space since they were supposed to be sneaking around.

Emily bit her bottom lip, starting to feel guilty again. "I'm sorry. I just don't want..."

"I get it." Paige cut in, smiling faintly. "It's fine. I'll order some Chinese or pizza or something." She added before leaning forward to kiss Emily on the lips again. For some reason she knew the girl wouldn't initiate it and she didn't want to waste the few minutes that they're alone.

Emily instinctively leaned her body closer to Paige when the girl parted her lips but quickly pulled back when she heard a noise. "What was that?" She asked, looking around the room nervously.

"What was what? I didn't hear anything." Paige said, firmly pulling Emily close to her again.

"I heard something." Emily insisted. "Like a soft bristling sound."

Paige grinned. "Oh. It's probably just this." She said, pointing to the broom behind her. "I stepped on it while I was trying to find my balance." She explained before moving to take Emily's hand again but the girl wouldn't move, seemingly frozen in place. "What?"

"Maybe you should leave. Reese is waiting for you. She might be wondering what's taking you so long." Emily added, her voice hoarse.

Paige sighed. "Em..."

"Please?" Emily begged, starting to get anxious.

"Yeah, okay. I'll just see you at dinner then." Paige finally agreed, moving to kiss Emily on the lips one last time but the girl turned her head away so her kiss ended up on Emily's cheek instead.

Paige gave the girl a confused look before making her way back to the front of the café. _I don't get it. I know I haven't done anything to make Emily think twice about us again_. They haven't been fighting and Emily was still attracted to her. But for some reason the girl was pulling away and she didn't know why. _What's going on?_

* * *

"Dinner was good." Emily commented before taking a sip of her water after dinner that night.

"It was just Chinese takeout. It's hardly stellar." Paige said wryly as she studied the empty boxes of takeout food on the coffee table in front of them.

Emily angled her body on the couch to face Paige. "I meant the company." She corrected, smiling at the girl.

Paige smiled nervously. "Yeah. It's good. Great, actually." She added, turning her body as well to face Emily. The girl seemed to be in a much better mood than she was when Paige left her in the back room of the café earlier.

Emily moved closer to Paige. "So I have to get back to Harrison in an hour. I told Spencer I was just grabbing dinner with our MGMT100 group." She explained, gently setting down her glass of water on the coffee table.

"Uh huh." Paige uttered, her eyes on Emily's moist lips from the water the girl just drank.

"Did you really just want to have dinner with me tonight?" Emily asked, taking Paige's hand and smiling at the girl coyly.

Paige let out a nervous laugh. "Nope. Not just dinner." She admitted, wondering why the hell she was fidgeting. "Definitely not just dinner." She repeated, her eyes meeting Emily's.

"What else?" Emily whispered.

Paige gazed at Emily's lips, slowly leaning forward to give the girl a quick kiss before pulling back again.

Emily smiled. "We have an _hour_. Are you really gonna kiss me like we're in grade school?" She asked teasingly.

Paige shook her head and tucked a strand of hair behind Emily's ear. "Show me how it's done." She said softly, looking into the girl's eyes. "Kiss me."

Emily's smile faltered and she suddenly felt nervous, her cheeks growing warm. She pulled away from the girl and got up to start clearing the takeout boxes instead, avoiding Paige's confused stare.

Paige got up and began helping Emily in silence, now really puzzled as to why the girl refused to kiss her first. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that except for Emily kissing her twice under the rain and then during the Thanksgiving break, she was always the one who initiated their make out sessions.

Paige cleared her throat to speak. "Do you like me?" She asked quietly.

Emily stopped what she was doing and looked at Paige, confused as to why the girl would ask her that.

"I mean, _me_. Do you like _me_? Not because I'm Jai's best friend and we've been hanging out a lot so now you think you're attracted to me but you're not really. That you think it's just because we spend so much time together that it was bound to happen eventually or something. Do you like me?" Paige repeated.

Emily sighed. "Paige..."

"Because you know that I like you." Paige reminded the girl. "But if you don't feel the same way anymore you can tell me. If you think you don't know how you really feel... if you want to back out again..."

"I don't." Emily interjected, shaking her head firmly.

"Then what is it?" Paige asked, confused.

"I _do_ like you. Despite not wanting to because you will always be my girlfriend's best friend so you're supposed to be off-limits. Despite knowing that everyone will see me as a cliché and talk about me when they find out. I like you." Emily admitted helplessly.

"So why are you fighting it?" Paige asked softly.

"What do you mean?" Emily replied, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"You weren't exactly jumping for joy when I asked you to have dinner with me earlier." Paige reminded the girl. "Then when I asked you to kiss me just now you chose to clean up instead. Why? You've kissed me first already. Thrice. And I've been hoping you'd kiss me that way again. But since we got back together I've always kissed you first."

"What do you want from me?" Emily asked hoarsely. She didn't expect that Paige would notice her behavior.

"I want to see the Emily who couldn't keep her hands off me. The one who wasn't scared to show that she's attracted to me. Because I know you are." Paige pointed out. "But I feel as if the only time that _you_ kiss _me_ is if we're not together and you want to be. But once we are I always initiate it. Hanging out with you, this doesn't feel friendly. And that's because it's not just me. We're alone. Why can't you kiss me that way again?"

"Because I don't know if I can stop. Okay?" Emily finally blurted out, looking away.

"Oh." Paige uttered. That was the last thing she expected to hear from the girl.

"You said it yourself. I'm attracted to you. Only you don't know how much. And yeah. We're alone. And lately that scares me because I'm really attracted to you and I'm still not sure what it is we're doing." Emily explained. "I don't want to give you the wrong impression that if I initiate things I want to do more. Because whenever you kiss me, I know how much you want me."

"What's wrong with that?" Paige asked, trying to understand Emily's logic.

"I'm still not ready." Emily admitted.

"Em. I'm not... trying to put pressure on you. We don't have to do anything. It's just kissing." Paige pointed out, trying to laugh to lighten the mood but it didn't work.

"It's not. It used to be. But lately I feel like it's supposed to be a prelude to something." Emily confessed. "We make out for hours in your car, in my bed. And I know you want to do more. Ever since that night in my room I know how much you want to do more."

"Not when you're not ready. We've been seeing each other what, less than a week? You've been with Jai for years. I know you're not ready with me the way you were with her." Paige said understandingly.

Emily wearily ran a hand through her hair. "Paige, we..."

"What?" Paige urged gently.

"Nothing. Can you please just take me home?" Emily asked, glancing at the door.

"Yeah. Just let me get the keys." Paige said, heading for her bedroom.

Emily swallowed hard. She didn't know how to tell the girl that nothing ever happened with Jai despite being with her girlfriend for years. Paige expected her to be experienced. Just like the girl is. And she didn't want to disappoint Paige.

"Are you ready?" Paige asked once she was back in the living room.

"Wh- What?" Emily stammered, startled by the girl's question.

"To go." Paige added when she noticed Emily's reaction. "I meant ready to go home." She clarified.

"Yeah." Emily answered, walking over to the girl.

"Em, I'm fine with waiting." Paige promised once Emily was standing in front of her. She didn't want the night to end like this. "Sorry I brought up the whole kissing-you-first thing. I just thought you wanted to back out again and didn't know how to say it."

"Don't apologize." Emily said, taking Paige's hand. "I don't want to back out. Sorry if I'm confusing you."

Paige lightly squeezed Emily's hand as they made their way to the front door, releasing the girl's hand once Emily opened it knowing Kayla might be standing outside. She was getting used to the ground rules and she wasn't going to screw up this time. Not when Emily just told her that she didn't want out.

* * *

Emily glanced at her watch before deftly sidestepping an old man who was blindly walking towards her carrying a tall pile of papers, not missing a single step as she hurriedly made her way to her class on Tuesday morning. She was running late because well... she woke up late. She couldn't sleep because she was thinking about Paige and how the girl pointed out that she hasn't kissed Paige first ever since they got back together. All because she was so paranoid that Paige would think she wanted to go beyond kissing if she actually showed that she wanted the girl. And how Paige will probably lose interest in her eventually if she can't put out. That or Paige will get tired of sneaking around with her. Whichever comes first.

Once she rounded a corner, she increased her pace but immediately slowed down when she was almost near the room where her class is supposed to be because she saw Gary standing outside. Much to her confusion and surprise.

"I swear I'm not stalking you." Gary said in greeting when she saw Emily's expression. "I thought about calling you but I figured it's better if I talked to you in person. Spencer told me that this is your first class." She explained.

_Spencer and I really need to have a talk about her obsession with Gary_. "What are you doing here?" Emily asked, trying not to sound impatient but checking the time on her watch to show the girl that she was in a hurry. She was running late again and this is just her second day back in UPenn. She didn't need to maintain a 3.0 GPA for the financial aid but she needed it to study abroad her junior year.

"This won't take long." Gary promised, taking the girl's hint. "I just wanted to know if you had the chance to think it over. Coming to the gala event tonight as my plus one."

Emily sighed. She _did_ think it over last night. Several times after her dinner with Paige. That maybe she should go to this event since they weren't exclusive anyway. And Spencer had a point. If she wanted to have an exposure to the world of business and marketing she needed to start somewhere. And Gary had a point as well. If she wanted to join MUSE next semester this was her chance to see how the organization functions.

"What time is the gala?" Emily finally said, making Gary smile.

"Eight o'clock. I'll pick you up outside Harrison around seven since the venue is on the other side of the Schuylkill River." Gary explained.

"Okay. I'll see you tonight." Emily said before walking past the girl to head inside her room.

* * *

"She asked you out on a date." Paige said to Emily matter-of-factly later that afternoon as she paid for the coffee and apple juice at the counter.

"For the last time. It's not a date." Emily insisted, taking her time to ring up Paige's purchases so they have an excuse to continue talking.

"Oh really. What is it then?" Paige asked, fighting to hide her jealousy.

"It's... a chance to broaden my horizon when it comes to the world of marketing and business." Emily replied, quoting Spencer's words to the girl.

Paige let out a short laugh. "Right. It's a date." She repeated.

"Well what's it to you?" Emily asked, studying Paige's face carefully. "Are you jealous?"

Paige scoffed. "No. Why would I be jealous of Gary Chambers?" She said in reply.

Emily shrugged. "I don't know. That's what I wanted to know too." She shot back.

"Well I'm not. Jealous." Paige clarified. "I just don't want her to take advantage of you and your young, impressionable mind. I mean, she seems older than us. She's probably a senior or a junior since she's the president of MUSE."

"Uh, Reese is a junior too and you don't see me getting jealous all the time when you're together." Emily reminded the girl.

"Aha! So you _do_ get jealous from time to time." Paige said, grinning.

"I do not!" Emily protested, feeling her cheeks flush.

"Yes you do. You said you don't get jealous _all the time_ when you see us together. But from _time to time_ you do! Just admit you do." Paige coaxed, fighting the urge to lean over the counter and give the girl a long kiss because of how glad she is that Emily cared who she spent time with when they're not together. Considering the girl said she never gets jealous.

"I do not!" Emily repeated weakly.

Paige laughed. "Well in case you are, you don't have to be. There's no reason to." She said, suddenly getting serious.

"Why?" Emily asked, meeting Paige's gaze head on.

"Because." Paige uttered, not knowing how to tell Emily that all this time she was just getting help from Reese with her studies. "There's nothing..."

"You again." Paige averted her eyes from Emily and looked to her left when she heard Gary's voice.

"Gary Chambers." Paige said in greeting, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice. _Either this woman has the worst timing in the world or she's doing it on purpose_.

"Paige McCullers. Emily's friend." Gary said in reply, smiling at the girl.

Paige fought the urge to roll her eyes at Gary's obvious attempt to point out her place. "That's right." She answered without missing a beat.

"Am I interrupting?" Gary asked, looking at the two girls back and forth.

_You know you are_. Paige shook her head. "Nope. Just about done here." She answered, taking her change from Emily. "Have fun at the gala tonight. Emily just told me that she's looking forward to broadening her horizon when it comes to the world of marketing and business." She continued, repeating Emily's words without any trace of sarcasm in her voice. "I hope she really gets a chance to experience it. That's the only reason she's going to that event after all." She added offhandedly, ignoring Emily's warning look.

"Then I'll make sure she does." Gary said earnestly. "But I've been known to be pretty persuasive. I'm sure by the end of the night I'd have broadened her horizon in more ways than one."

Paige fought the urge to hit the girl for even talking like that in front of Emily and instead forced her lips to curl into a smile. "I better head back to my friend before I spill this steaming coffee on something." She said, gesturing to the cup she was holding in her hand before turning around to head back to Reese, telling herself that she's not jealous as she tried to convince herself to believe those words.

* * *

_How'd it go last night?_

Emily stole a glance at her Calculus professor before typing a reply to Paige's text, pausing as she contemplated whether or not to tell the girl the truth about her experience at the gala.

_Great. She introduced me to a lot of company CEOs and presidents and VPs._

Emily pressed the 'send' button when she finally decided to tell the girl the truth. She was telling so much lies lately that she wanted to be honest to the one person who really matters to her right now. She picked up her pen and jotted a few lecture notes while waiting for Paige's reply.

_That's great…_

Emily narrowed her eyes as she studied the words on the display screen. It was like she could hear Paige's voice and imagine the girl's face like they were standing in front of each other so she hurriedly typed a reply.

_It wasn't a date. There's no reason for you to get jealous._

Emily pressed the 'send' button again and resumed taking down notes but her phone vibrated before she could.

_I wasn't! I was just really worried she was taking advantage of you._

Emily stifled a laugh as she sent another text.

_Right. Keep telling that to yourself._

Emily tried her best to focus on the lecture again, hoping her professor won't call her name to ask that she derive a formula for solving the problem on the board because all she could think about right now is Paige. And the girl's soft lips, smooth skin and teasing smile. She can't wait until dinner. She wanted to see Paige now. Emily glanced at her professor, making sure that the old man wasn't looking in her direction before she typed another message to the girl, asking if they could have lunch after her class.

_Pick you up or come over?_

Emily bit her bottom lip when she saw Paige's reply, trying to decide. She couldn't wait to see the girl but she didn't want people to start asking questions. Still… it's not like they've seen her with Paige recently.

_Pick me up._

Emily replied, nervous about being seen together but at the same time excited to see Paige waiting for her right outside her class in a few minutes.

_Okay._

Emily felt herself smile. One simple word and Paige was able to make her smile. This is crazy.

* * *

Paige casually leaned against one of the towering stone pillars outside of Cohen Hall, her hands inside the pockets of her leather jacket as she waited for Emily to emerge from her Calculus class. She was pleasantly surprised when the girl texted her a few minutes ago asking if they could have lunch once her class was over and that Emily wanted to pick her up.

It was a first so she knew how important it was that she doesn't do something that would make Emily feel uncomfortable about being seen with her. She hoped her happiness at getting to pick up the girl from one of her classes wasn't going to show and she'd been practicing her poker face since she got that text.

Paige took a deep breath and moved from her position, turning her back to the entrance to study the campus. Everything still felt surreal. She never thought she'd end up going to UPenn and start spending time with Emily doing not so friendly things. She's never liked anyone the way she liked Emily and more than anything she wanted the girl to tell her someday that she's okay being seen with her in public. For now, she's just going to respect Emily's wish to keep what they're doing a secret.

Emily emerged from her class, eager to see Paige. She knew her decision earlier to let the girl pick her up from her last class today was spur of the moment but she figured it wouldn't hurt to be seen every now and then with Paige. Just so long as she can control her actions around the girl. She felt her pulse race when she saw Paige turn around when the girl heard the chatter, signaling the end of another class. _She hasn't seen me yet_. Emily thought as she watched Paige look around trying to find her. She knew the girl finally saw her when she noticed the slight change in Paige's posture and saw the girl's lips turn up slightly.

"Have you been waiting long?" Emily asked once she was standing in front of the girl.

Paige shook her head. "Finding a parking spot near here was hard." She admitted.

Paige was about to tell Emily that they should get going when a slight movement out of the corner of her eye made her grab Emily's arm reflexively when two guys who were clowning around a few steps away from them almost hit the girl. "Watch it!" She exclaimed angrily at the guys, making people near them turn around to see what was going on. "You two almost hit her!"

Emily felt her cheeks turn beet red, suddenly regretting her decision. She should've just told Paige that she was going to come over instead of asking the girl to pick her up. Embarrassed, she hastily started making her way towards Paige's car despite not knowing where it was parked. She just wanted to get out of there. _Of course Paige caused a scene. It's Paige. What did you expect?_ She mentally scolded herself. Sometimes she forgot how hot-headed Jai's best friend is. Paige does things impulsively without thinking of consequences. That's why she felt she had to always remind the girl to behave herself.

Paige cursed inwardly, shooting death glares at the two guys before running after Emily. She knew she just screwed up for reacting like an overprotective girlfriend and she was in for a lot of scolding. That or Emily was going to give her the silent treatment for the rest of the day. But she'd endure any of that. _Just please don't tell me we're over_. She pleaded silently as she watched Emily's rigid posture. She overtook the girl to wordlessly guide Emily to where she parked her car and when they finally reached it, Paige hastily moved to open the passenger door for the girl.

"Don't." Emily warned.

Paige swallowed hard and let the girl open the door herself, cringing when she heard Emily close it forcefully. The girl was really pissed at her. She hurriedly went to her side of the car and locked the doors once she was inside. They sat in silence for a moment before Paige finally decided to speak.

"They almost hit you." Paige stated, staring straight ahead past the windshield. "I couldn't let you get hurt."

"So you acted like an overprotective girlfriend instead?! Jai wouldn't even react that way and she's my girlfriend." Emily pointed out.

"_Was_ your girlfriend." Paige corrected, hurt.

Emily sighed. "Paige..."

"I'm sorry I reacted that way. But I can't just let them hit you. They were goofing around so hard one of them was going to eventually hit you either on the face or at the back of the head with their elbow. What was I supposed to do?" Paige asked, getting frustrated.

"I don't know, steer me away from them without making a fuss?" Emily suggested, matching Paige's tone. "But instead you made a big deal out of it by reprimanding them in front of everyone and suddenly we're the center of attention!"

"I can't be Jai." Paige said as she started the car. "I'm not as level-headed or calm as her when it comes to you or in anything for that matter. I can't keep thinking what Jai would do everytime I'm around you." Paige argued.

"I'm not asking you to be Jai!" Emily snapped, offended. "But is it really so hard for you to think first before you act?"

"No. In fact, here's me thinking." Paige retorted, turning her car to drive towards Harrison instead. "I think I'll just drive you back to your college house. After what just happened neither of us is really in the mood to grab lunch, are we?"

"Yeah." Emily answered distantly, staring outside the passenger window of Paige's car.

* * *

"Whoa! Easy on the door." Spencer jokingly said when Emily slammed it shut once her friend entered their room. "What's wrong?" She asked when she noticed the girl's foul mood.

"Nothing. I just had a _really_ bad day today." Emily answered vaguely as she headed for her bed, planning to lie there and sulk the rest of the day but she stopped in her tracks when she saw what was sitting on the middle of it.

"Those came for you a while ago." Spencer revealed when she saw Emily staring at the bouquet of red roses. "You weren't here when it was delivered so I accepted it. Care to guess who they're from?"

_Maybe time travel exists and they're from Paige?_ Emily thought, briefly closing her eyes in distress. "Gary." She finally answered, lifting the bouquet off her bed and staring at it sadly.

"I suppose that's her way of saying thanks for last night. There's a card but of course I didn't read it." Spencer promised. "You should really go out with her again, Em. When you came back last night you were smiling. I think she's good for you."

Emily smiled at her friend faintly, unable to explain that she enjoyed the event and not the company. She started when she felt her phone vibrate from the back pocket of her jeans, her heart hammering. _Maybe it's Paige. Calling so we could talk about what just happened_. She quickly grabbed her phone and bit her bottom lip to keep from crying, feeling letdown when she saw that it was an unregistered number.

"That's probably Gary. Asking you out for another date. Say yes." Spencer pleaded before getting up and heading for the bathroom.

"Hello." Emily answered, trying to keep her voice normal.

"Emily. It's Gary." Gary said from the other end of the line.

"Yeah?" Emily replied, staring at the flowers on her lap absentmindedly.

"I was just calling to check if you got the flowers?" Gary asked, getting straight to the point.

"Yeah. I just did." Emily admitted. "Thanks. They're beautiful."

"Don't mention it. It's my way of saying thanks for last night. I had a really great time with you." Gary admitted. "It's also an invitation for another night out with me. Do you have any plans tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night?" Emily repeated, trying to buy some time. She wasn't sure what she should do.

"Yeah. There's this new French restaurant downtown and I'm excited to check it out." Gary explained. "I was hoping you'd share a table with me by the window."

"Uh. Like a date?" Emily asked, her eyes drifting to the vision board Paige gave her which was leaning against the wall near the window.

"Yeah. Unless you're seeing someone?" Gary asked in response.

"No. I'm not seeing anyone." Emily finally said after a moment of silence. _Maybe it's easier for everyone this way_.

"So you're free tomorrow night?" Gary confirmed.

"Yeah. I'm free." Emily answered faintly, fighting the urge to cry.

"Great. I'll pick you up outside Harrison around seven if that's okay." Gary continued, oblivious to Emily's distress.

"Yeah. I'll see you at seven." Emily answered before ending the call and looking at the flowers numbly.

* * *

Paige patiently watched the entrance to Pottruck Center on Thursday morning, waiting for Emily to emerge fresh from her swim practice. She was supposed to be running around the entire campus but she ended up running around the building, scared to miss Emily when the girl heads to her class. She knew she owed Emily an apology for what happened yesterday. And she wanted to work things out with the girl before Emily decides to end things between them again. But the girl won't take her calls when she finally decided to apologize last night and in the end, she opted for giving a personal apology instead of doing one over the phone.

_There she is_. Paige thought, her heart hammering when she finally saw Emily emerge with Cesca from behind the door. She didn't expect the girl to have company once she was outside and now she didn't know what to do. Should she show herself or wait until later to apologize?

Paige decided to wait for a few seconds, exhaling when she saw Cesca part ways with Emily just as the two girls reached the front of the building beside Pottruck Center. Now's her chance. She had to talk to the girl before Emily could head to her class. Steeling herself, Paige finally emerged from her hiding spot behind one of the trees lining the sidewalk and began to run towards the girl.

"Hey." Paige said in greeting once she caught up to the girl, her voice betraying her nervousness to her dismay.

"Paige." Emily uttered in surprise, stopping in her tracks when the girl seemed to appear next to her out of nowhere.

"I've been running around the bloc waiting for you." Paige admitted. "I won't do it again. I promise." She hurriedly added. "I just wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday. You won't answer my calls and I realized I'd rather apologize in person anyway so I came here."

"It's fine. I shouldn't have said those things to you. I forgot who you really were. I'm sorry." Emily said to Paige's disappointment.

_Like she expected that behavior from me_. "Um, let me make it up to you." Paige offered, ignoring the sinking feeling she just had that Emily was about to end things with her again. "I was thinking. Maybe we could go on a picnic to celebrate. We've been seeing each other for a week. We still are, right?" She asked anxiously.

"Yeah. But a picnic is too public. It's out in the open, Paige." Emily reminded the girl.

"No. I know. I've thought about that so I decided for option number two. A picnic dinner in my living room tonight. I already have a blanket, a picnic basket and the usual picnic foods. All it needs is you and me." Paige added, trying to sound upbeat. "Come over around seven?"

"I can't tonight." Emily answered, unable to meet the girl's eyes.

"Oh. You made dinner plans with Spencer?" Paige asked despite knowing the answer.

Emily shook her head. "No. I made plans with Gary yesterday." She confessed, confirming the girl's hunch.

Paige looked at Emily incredulously. "You're going on a date with her again." She said, trying to keep the jealousy out of her voice.

"The first one wasn't a date and tonight we're just having dinner." Emily explained.

"Where?" Paige asked as she clenched her fists.

"In this newly-opened French restaurant downtown." Emily revealed.

"French restaurant. And you call that just... having dinner. Like two friends sitting in front of each other on a small table in a place where there's a dress code and they serve expensive wine and you pay for the ambiance. It's not dinner. It's a date." Paige insisted.

"What's the big deal?" Emily asked, giving Paige an annoyed look.

"You don't know her that well and she gets to take you out to dinner. You know me and all I can feed you is takeout and pizzas?" Paige pointed out, not bothering to hide the hurt in her voice.

"Meaning what?" Emily challenged.

"Meaning I thought the whole reason why you didn't want anyone to see us in public together is because you didn't want to explain to people or define to them what you and I have. You didn't want them to think that you're thinking of moving on from Jai. Why are you suddenly going out on dates with presidents of organizations?" Paige asked accusingly.

"Okay it's just one president. It's just one dinner. The night might even end up badly." Emily said, trying to seem unaffected.

"I doubt that. 'Cos when I asked you how the first one went you answered _great_." Paige pointed out sarcastically. "What happens if it doesn't? If she asked you out again would you say yes?" She asked, her stomach churning.

"I don't know. Why are you so mad? I thought we agreed we weren't exclusive?" Emily reminded the girl.

"_You_ said we weren't exclusive. I'm not keen on seeing anyone else, Emily." Paige insisted.

"Well I am. Why does it bother you so much?" Emily asked. "You're seeing Reese, right?"

"No. I'm not. I was never with Reese. All this time she was just helping me with my studies." Paige finally confessed. "That's all there is to it. Reese has a girlfriend and they've been together for four years. I don't want to see anyone else, Em." She admitted, her voice hoarse.

Paige took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She averted her eyes from the girl for a second and saw that for some reason Cesca was headed their way again. She needed to end this conversation with Emily before the girl reached them.

"The truth is I don't want you to see other girls either. Because I get jealous. Okay? There. I said it. I'm jealous." Paige confessed brokenly. "I know it's not Jai behavior. And that you don't want jealousy if it meant fighting and drama. But I can't help it." She said before walking past Emily just as Cesca was nearing them.

"Hello, leech." Cesca said in greeting when she saw Paige walking towards her.

"Not now, Cesca." Paige snapped, her voice cold as she walked past her former friend without even looking at the girl that she didn't notice the suspicious look Cesca gave her then Emily.

* * *

Paige put on an extra burst of speed when she saw the end of the lap again; hearing the seconds tick inside her head as her feet furiously pounded the ground in Franklin Field later that night. She gradually slowed down her pace once she crossed the finished line, running a few more steps before coming to a full stop. She wanted to continue running. But she needed to catch her breath so she walked over to her duffel bag in the middle of the field, sitting down on the grass before opening her bag to take out a towel to wipe her sweat off. A feeling of sadness overwhelmed her when she saw inside the bag the water bottle Emily gave her.

Taking it out, she opened the nozzle and drank a generous amount of water before staring at it. _One week_. It was supposed to be their one week together today. _Well at least the two of you lasted a week this time_. She thought, returning the bottle inside the bag before lying face up on the grass to stare at the clear night sky.

Right now instead of celebrating with her, Emily is instead somewhere around Philly having a romantic dinner with Gary in some fancy restaurant where there's a maître d' and an hors d'oeuvre she can't pronounce. Gary was like an older version of Jai. Only the girl wasn't her friend and from what she could tell, Gary didn't have Jai's heart. _So how could Emily go out with her?_

Paige sighed. She should've asked Emily first if the girl wanted to have an indoor picnic with her. Now she was going to have to eat all of the food she bought by herself. She could always bring it over to Kayla's and see what the girl can whip out of it but the point is, tonight she and Emily are probably over.

"Paige!" Paige tore her eyes away from the sky and instead stared into the wide, light brown eyes staring back at her. She blinked once, trying to figure out whose set of eyes it was but the eyes blinked the same time she did. Paige felt her lips curl into a smile and she quickly got up.

"Brian!" Paige exclaimed, grinning when Billie's seven-year-old brother threw himself at her. "What are you doing here?" She asked, hugging the boy loosely.

"Reese took me out to dinner. We're gonna go get ice cream before she takes me home. That's how much she loves me." Brian answered proudly, studying Paige before hugging the girl again. "You should come. Make Reese buy you tons of ice cream. I don't mind. Ice cream makes people happy and you're really sad."

Paige smiled faintly and hugged Brian tighter before looking up when she saw a pair of toned legs in skinny jeans approach them.

"Fancy meeting you here, newbie." Reese said in greeting.

"I could say the same thing to you. What are you doing here?" Paige asked, giving the girl a confused look.

"Hey Bry. I'll buy you two scoops of ice cream tonight instead of one if you can find me the smallest rock in this field." Reese offered, resting her hand on her knees and looking at the boy eagerly. "Deal?"

Brian quickly disentangled himself from Paige and nodded. "I want chocolate and chocolate." He said.

Reese smiled. "Okay. But don't tell Billie I gave you two scoops." She said, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately before Brian ran past her. "I just picked him up from soccer practice. Billie was supposed to join us for dinner but she's busy choreographing for the dance ensemble winter concert next year so she told us to go ahead. I decided to take Brian here since he loves this place so much and I wanted to take his mind off his sister. He was kinda looking forward to having dinner with her." She explained before taking a seat next to Paige. "Your turn."

"Emily and I got into a fight." Paige admitted, wondering how she could tell Reese her problem without revealing that she and Emily have been sneaking around again.

"About Gary?" Reese prompted.

"Among other things." Paige replied. "I kinda lost my cool yesterday and caused a scene. Emily didn't like it."

"Like the one you caused in the café?" Reese guessed.

"Worse. This time people were actually looking at us and Emily felt embarrassed." Paige explained. "She doesn't like calling attention to herself that's why she got mad. I just feel like I keep screwing up when it comes to her. I don't want to lose her." She admitted, looking at the girl helplessly.

"Then change for her." Reese advised.

Paige ran her hand over the grass before looking at Reese again. "What if she wants me to change into something I'm not?" She asked, conflicted.

"Paige everybody changes. It's just up to you which direction to take. Good or bad." Reese reminded the girl. "Is it so horrible? Changing into what she wants you to become?"

"It's not me." Paige answered.

"Don't say that. Just because you changed doesn't mean you're a completely different person." Reese explained. "Or that who you changed into hasn't always been a part of you. Maybe changing could help you discover something about yourself. That maybe you've been capable of becoming someone better all along."

"I mean, is it better?" Reese continued when the girl didn't say anything. "Paige if she wants you to change into a better version of yourself I don't see the harm in trying." She pointed out. "Of course it's completely up to you if you want to change. No one can force you to do something you don't want to. Nor should you do it solely for others. But sometimes people decide to change not just for themselves but for the people around them as well. Because let's face it, most of the time we want the people who matter to us to see the best in us."

Reese looked around the field for Brian before getting up and dusting the back of her jeans. "Don't change the good things in you. But don't settle for who you are now. Prove to her and to yourself that you're capable of becoming someone better." She said, smiling down at Paige encouragingly before walking over to Brian who was currently crouched near one of the exits, still busy combing the ground for a small rock.

Paige watched as they left the stadium, waving at Brian when Reese gestured towards her. She waited until she was alone again before getting up, deciding to run another lap before heading home.

* * *

"Thanks for dinner." Emily told Gary as she reached the top step in front of Harrison later that night, turning around to face the girl.

"You're welcome." Gary replied, looking up at Emily since the girl was a few steps higher than her.

"Sorry I had to put an end to the night. I just wasn't feeling well." Emily continued, trying to smile apologetically.

Gary shook her head. "It's fine. I still think the night went great." She said before slowly taking the few steps separating them until she was standing just one step below the girl. "But I can think of a way to make it perfect." She added, leaning forward to kiss Emily but the girl turned her head away.

"I'm sorry." Emily uttered, her eyes drifting to the spot a few steps away from them where she first realized she liked Paige. She swallowed hard when she remembered the moment and how she felt, like it was just yesterday that the girl held an umbrella above them while Paige stood in front of her, telling her she didn't forget her birthday.

"Are you one of those old-fashioned girls who don't kiss on the first date or is there someone else?" Gary asked, reminding Emily that she wasn't alone.

"No. There's no one else." Emily lied.

"I think there is." Gary said, her eyes drifting to the locket on Emily's necklace. "Spencer told me your girlfriend died not too long ago." She continued, misreading Emily's distress. "I'm sorry to hear that. And I get that it's still fresh. It hasn't even been a year. I get why you're reluctant to start dating again."

"I'm really sorry." Emily said, not bothering to correct the girl.

"Don't be. Because I really like you, Emily. So I'm willing to wait until you're ready. Your girlfriend isn't coming back and you're not seeing anyone. You're fair play and I don't give up easily." Gary reminded the girl, giving Emily a confident smile. "Goodnight." She said before turning around and making her way back to her car.

Emily watched and waited until Gary left the front of her college house before taking out her phone from inside the clutch bag she was carrying. She quickly dialed a number, aware that her hands were trembling as she held the phone near her ear, waiting for the other person on the line to pick up.

"Hey." Emily said in greeting, forcing her voice to sound normal. "I'm sorry for calling out of the blue but I really need your help..."

* * *

Paige emerged from her bathroom and limped her way to the couch, lifting her right leg on the coffee table as she surveyed the huge gash on her knee. _At least the bleeding finally stopped_. She thought wryly, staring at the wound to see if she needed stitches. She just cleaned the area with mild soap and warm water and she was sure there was no debris or dirt left in the wound. Paige leaned forward to reach for the bottle of hydrogen peroxide on the coffee table when she heard her phone ring. Reaching for the small rectangular object vibrating on the couch, she looked at the caller and felt a sense of dread. She took a deep breath before deciding to answer the call.

"Hey, dad." Paige said in greeting, hoping her voice didn't sound nervous. She decided to put the call on speaker so she could apply first aid to her wound while talking to her father.

"Hey, honey." Nick's voice came loud and clear from the speaker. "I'm just calling to check up on you." He explained. "I'm in California for the weekend so I won't be able to visit you."

Paige reached for the bottle of hydrogen peroxide again and twisted the cap off. "Yeah. You told me that before I left the house last Monday." She reminded her father as she poured the clear liquid over her wound, cringing when she felt the stinging sensation.

"I know I did. I guess I'm just a little worried. I got a call from Hank earlier today." Nick revealed, making Paige stare at her phone uneasily.

"What did he want?" Paige asked, trying to seem uninterested.

"Nothing. He actually called because Cesca called him and said she ran into you this morning. She was worried about you." Nick explained.

_Worried about me? That's a first_. Paige thought, rolling her eyes. "What did Cesca say?" She asked, studying her wound closely.

"That you were upset. She said she left her phone inside Sheerr Pool so she went back to retrieve it and she saw you talking to Emily Fields. Cesca said from the looks of it, it seemed like it was a heated argument. Like a lovers' quarrel." Nick clarified. "Is this true? Because we have an agreement, Paige. And I told you to keep your distance from Jai's girlfriend. Forget about that promise you made."

"No, dad. It wasn't a lovers' quarrel." Paige lied. "We just had a misunderstanding but it's between friends. We already sorted it out." She added. "There's no need to worry. I'm still keeping the promise I made to you."

"Still. I think it'd be better if you distanced yourself from her. Cesca said you were really upset." Nick repeated. "Maybe I should ask her to look after you since Kayla only can when you're home."

"No. Dad there's no reason to ask Cesca to do that. I'm keeping my distance from Emily." Paige promised, hoping her voice didn't sound desperate or panicked. The last thing she needed was for Cesca to start breathing on her neck 24/7.

"Okay. You know how much I trust you." Nick reminded his daughter. "I'll see you in Rosewood during the holidays then."

"Yeah. I'll see you there. Bye, dad. Goodnight." Paige said, reaching for her phone.

"Goodnight." Nick repeated before ending the call.

_No need to tell me to stay away from her. I'm pretty sure Emily has that covered_. Paige thought miserably. She ran a hand through her hair before looking at the gash on her knee again. She leaned forward to reach for the gauze on the coffee table this time but stopped when she heard a hesitant knock on the door. _Oh come on. Will I ever finish fixing my knee tonight?!_ She thought before she gingerly got up from the couch and limped towards the door.

"I'm coming!" Paige called out, wincing and cursing under her breath when she banged her injured knee on the side of the closet near the door. She reached for the knob and unlocked the door, her eyes widening when she saw who it was. "Em." She uttered, looking at the girl in surprise.

"Hey. Mind if I come in?" Emily asked nervously.

Paige shook her head. "No." She answered, moving to open the door wider.

"What happened?" Emily asked when she saw Paige limp to close the door, her eyes traveling to Paige's right knee which the girl had slightly bent. "Are you okay?" She continued.

"Yeah. Just tripped and fell earlier tonight during training." Paige replied, limping back to the living room.

Emily hurriedly went to Paige's side and placed the girl's right arm around her shoulders so she could support Paige's weight as they slowly made their way back to the couch.

"Thanks." Paige said once she was seated. She reached again for the gauze on the coffee table but Emily was quicker.

"I got it." Emily offered, placing beside Paige her clutch bag and the small paper bag she was carrying with her when she came over so she could free her hands to continue cleaning Paige's wound. "Why were you training tonight? Don't you run in the mornings?"

"I needed the distraction." Paige admitted, watching Emily as the girl kneeled on the floor and gently covered her gash with the gauze. It was obvious that Emily just came from her date since the girl was wearing a short dress and heels. _She probably came over to tell me she wants to be with Gary starting tonight_. "But I got distracted from my distraction hence the accident." She continued, her voice hoarse.

Emily nodded, knowing Paige was thinking about her date with Gary tonight that's why the girl got into an accident. Guilt-ridden, she focused on wrapping Paige's knee with an elastic bandage instead. When she was done, Emily studied the dressing to make sure it wasn't loose or too tight so the wound could breathe. "All done." She said, finally meeting Paige's eyes and smiling faintly at the girl.

"What are you doing here?" Paige asked quietly.

"I brought you a peace offering." Emily said in reply, reaching for the brown paper bag from the couch and taking out a bag of Sour Patch Kids inside, handing it to Paige.

"Have you been talking to Kayla?" Paige asked, taking the bag of candy and placing it on the glass table beside the couch.

"Guilty. I called her earlier to ask for her help. I didn't tell her why. Just that I really screwed up. She said a bag of Sour Patch Kids is the way to go." Emily admitted.

"But I'm not ten anymore. Neither are you." Paige reminded the girl. "A bag of candy isn't going to make things better."

"I know that. I just needed something to start with." Emily explained.

"How was your date?" Paige asked, her voice hoarse.

"Awful." Emily confessed, moving to sit beside the girl. "The whole time I was with her I was thinking about our fight this morning until finally I asked her to take me home."

"Did you..." Paige trailed off, not knowing how to ask the question and if she could handle the answer. "Did she kiss you?"

Emily shook her head. "She tried but I didn't let her." She admitted.

"Why?" Paige uttered softly.

"Because I remembered you. We were standing in front of Harrison near the spot where I first realized I like you and I just knew I wanted her to go so I can come here." Emily confessed. "I'm sorry I made you jealous."

Paige swallowed hard. "I'm trying not to be. Because you said you didn't like being with someone who's jealous if it meant having to fight constantly. So I'm trying. But it's really hard." She admitted, laughing humorlessly. "Because we're not really together. And you can see whoever you want. Even if I don't like it, I don't have a say in it." She added hoarsely. "It's really hard for me to see you with another girl. I can't focus on anything because I keep thinking what you're doing with them. If you kiss them like you've kissed me. If you let them hold you like I do..."

"No. I don't." Emily promised, leaning forward to kiss the girl.

Paige smiled when their lips finally broke contact. "You kissed me first." She whispered.

"I guess I just did." Emily replied before kissing Paige again.

"I'm sorry for the way I've been behaving lately." Emily said, pulling away from the girl so they can continue their conversation. "For that fight we had yesterday. I wasn't being fair to you. Asking you to be something you're not and probably never will be. I won't do it again."

Paige took Emily's hand. "Yeah. You weren't being fair. But I don't want you to give up on me that easily too. I don't want you to think that I can't change." She said earnestly. "I'm sorry my instinct was to yell instead of pull you out of harm's way. I'm just not wired to think first, act later. And I'm sorry I made a scene when you said that you didn't want people looking at us wondering if we're together." She continued.

"I know it's frustrating to be with your best friend's girlfriend. To be with me when I still think about Jai. I still love her. A lot. And I know I'm being selfish for loving her and wanting to be something with you." Emily admitted, ashamed.

"It _is_ frustrating. But just hanging out with you as a friend when we both know we feel something for each other is torture. At least for me it is." Paige said, smiling faintly. "And we _did_ try to stop it. You backed out for a while, remember? You weren't sure and I told you it's fine. But you couldn't stay away just like I can't force myself to just forget how I feel. It's frustrating. But I can't imagine spending time with anyone else."

Emily looked away. "I think you should still try." She said, making Paige frown.

"No. I don't want to." Paige answered stubbornly. "Em, why are you so keen on seeing other people?" She asked, confused.

Emily felt her throat constrict and her vision suddenly blurred. "Because I think this is wrong." She finally said, hearing herself say those words out loud making her feel even more horrible about herself. She gently wiped a tear that fell from her eyes.

"Being back here... I lied when I said I miss being here. I don't. Wherever we are. Whether it's here or in Rosewood, it's hard being together." Emily said, her eyes on the floor. "In Rosewood I have to pretend that I'm okay seeing you climb trees in the middle of the night just to come and go inside my room like a common thief but the truth is I'm not. I don't enjoy it. I don't like hurting you." She whispered, letting her tears fall.

"So I thought, _hey, maybe it's better if we're back in UPenn_. But then we get here and we still know people from where we live, Kayla's living across the hall from you and I'm subjected to Spencer asking where I've been everytime I come home late or can't make it to lunch or dinner. And then I realized it's hard here too." Emily continued, choking back a sob.

"When Spencer told me to try to see where things go with Gary and then we started having these problems again, I thought _maybe I should_. Maybe if I do that, it'll be easier for everyone. Maybe it's better if we just felt this way about someone else. If we stayed away from each other. People won't talk. They won't judge us. We won't have to hide. Because even if Jai's dead I feel as if we're doing something horrible behind her back." Emily confessed brokenly.

Paige gently touched Emily's chin, forcing the girl to look at her. "Em..." She whispered, wiping the girl's tears. She had no idea Emily was feeling this way.

"I'm trying to find someone who could make me feel the way you do. I know it's not Gary. But there has to be someone else, right? I want you to do the same." Emily implored. "Please. Try to find someone else you're attracted to. Try going on dates." She begged. "I know I'm hurting you by asking you to sneak around. You should be with someone who's not afraid to be seen in public with you."

"Em, I'm okay with sneaking around. I don't mind. I know I said I didn't want it before but now I'm okay with it." Paige promised. "I just want to keep seeing you. Exclusive or not." She added, pulling the girl close to hug her. "Why didn't you tell me sooner that you were having a hard time with all of this?" She asked softly.

Emily pulled away, drying her eyes. "Because I was the one who wanted to sneak around, remember? I'm supposed to be okay with it. I didn't want you to think that I wanted to back out again when you find out that I'm having a hard time lying. Because I don't. I want to keep seeing you." She insisted.

"And I want to keep seeing you too." Paige said earnestly. "Em, I know we're still trying to figure things out between us. And there are a lot of reasons why we're hiding this from everyone. I know you think I'm having a hard time. And I did. But I want you to know that you're not forcing me. I have my reasons too." She admitted, hoping Emily won't ask what those reasons are. "Can we have that picnic now to celebrate our one week together?" Paige suddenly asked, changing the subject.

Emily nodded. "I'll help you." She hurriedly offered when she remembered Paige's wound.

"No. It's fine. I can walk." Paige promised, getting up and slowly heading to the kitchen countertop to get the blanket and the picnic basket.

Paige eagerly unfolded the blanket on the floor while the other girl moved to push the coffee table a little to make room for it. She lowered the basket in the middle and stared at the setting before deciding to go to the fridge to grab the refreshments inside.

Emily silently watched Paige limp towards the fridge. There was no trace of the pain she saw in the girl's features earlier because of the wound. All she could see now was Paige's excitement as the girl prepared their indoor picnic. Emily swallowed hard, her throat constricting again. She can't keep hurting Paige. She followed the girl to the fridge and wordlessly helped Paige take out the juice boxes, taking it from the girl's hand and placing it on the kitchen countertop behind her before facing Paige again.

"What?" Paige asked when Emily just stood there looking at her.

Emily moved forward and wrapped her arms around Paige's neck, hugging the girl and resting her head on the crook of Paige's neck.

"Em. What's wrong?" Paige uttered, hugging the girl back.

"I need you to promise me something." Emily whispered in Paige's ear.

"What is it?" Paige asked, getting worried.

Emily swallowed hard. "I need you to promise me... that if it hurts too much... being with me... promise me you'd walk away and let me go." She pleaded, tears falling from her eyes again. "Paige..."

Paige held the girl closer to her when she felt Emily's warm tears on her neck. "Okay." She answered, holding Emily as the girl cried. She suddenly remembered Reese's words and made a decision. "But just so you know... you're not gonna get rid of me that easily." Paige promised earnestly. "I'm not giving up."


	19. sic infit : chapter ix

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

_****__**Like always, thanks for the reviews!**_

_**And just a couple of things:**_

_**First of: I'm posting two chapters this week. Chapter X of Part Two is going to be up in a few hours. I'm going to the US and Canada for a few days and I'm leaving today. I have to go on hiatus since I won't be doing much (if any) writing while I'm there. I'll be posting Chapter XI of Part Two three weeks from today. Sorry for the erroneous tag on Tumblr.**_

_**Second: Patience. It's not going to get better anytime soon because (S)-L-O-(W)-C-U-M-T-E-N-E-N-S.**_

_**sampledbeats, EyeOpener16, saffyfan and Nae10... Thanks for the PM.**_

* * *

**PART TWO: "Sic Infit"**

_~ So it begins. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

Emily narrowed her eyes just as Paige did the same as they sat cross-legged on the couch facing each other on a Monday night. She flexed her hands, tightening her grip on the container of takeout food and pair of chopsticks she was holding, ready for another round. She suddenly moved to her right, hoping to catch Paige this time but the girl moved to _her_ right, effectively avoiding Emily.

Never breaking eye contact with the girl, Emily went back to her original position, waiting for another opportunity. She suddenly moved to her right again hoping to catch Paige off guard this time but the girl moved to _her_ right, avoiding her again. She finally sighed.

"Paige, come on. Just one bite." Emily coaxed, waving her takeout container of Moo Shu Pork in front of the girl.

Paige shook her head, alternately weaving her body left and right everytime Emily brought the food near her face. "No." She said again. "No, no, no."

The two of them have been at it since their dinner arrived thirty minutes ago. Emily insisted that her Moo Shu Pork was better than Paige's Cashew Chicken while the latter refused to accept it and when Emily dared Paige to try her dinner, the girl refused to.

"But we need to settle this tonight." Emily insisted. "Are you scared I'm gonna win?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Paige scoffed. "_No_. I just don't want you to cry when you realize I'm right." She shot back.

"Or you don't want me to see _you_ cry for the first time when you admit that you were wrong." Emily said smugly.

"_Please_. My Cashew Chicken can take down your Mushy Pork any day." Paige declared confidently.

"_Moo Shu_. It's _Moo Shu_." Emily emphasized, puckering her lips at Paige.

"Mushy." Paige insisted. "No." She suddenly said when she saw Emily pout playfully. "Not fair!"

Emily grinned before pouting again. "Please? For me?" She asked.

Paige stared at Emily for a second and sighed. "Fine." She uttered, finally giving in and making the girl smile. She grabbed the pair of chopsticks she was using from inside her takeout container to taste Emily's dinner but the girl moved her food away. "What? I thought you wanted me to taste your dinner?" She asked, giving the girl a confused look.

"Yeah. Here." Emily said, taking some food from her takeout container using her pair of chopsticks and timidly offering it to Paige. "I just don't want your chopsticks to touch my food." She explained, trying to control her blush.

Paige grinned. "Right. But you don't mind that I put your chopsticks in my mouth." She commented, quickly leaning forward to take the food Emily was trying to feed her before the girl changed her mind. Paige chewed it slowly, fighting the urge to kiss Emily while there's food in her mouth.

"Well?" Emily asked, biting her bottom lip anxiously as she watched Paige's face, waiting for the girl's reaction.

"It's good." Paige admitted when she was done swallowing the food.

Emily beamed smugly. "Told you." She said, leaning forward and depositing a quick kiss on Paige's lips. "Now let me taste your dinner."

Paige nodded and used her pair of chopsticks to take a small portion of the Cashew Chicken in her takeout container and feed it to the girl. She watched Emily chew the food, patiently waiting for the girl's reaction.

"It's good." Emily finally commented, making Paige smile. "But mine was better." She added, shrugging.

"_Really_." Paige uttered, taking Emily's dinner and placing both of their food on the coffee table. "You're gonna pay for that." She said mischievously, her mind on anything but dinner now. "I'll make you admit my dinner was better."

"Torture me all you want. I'm not changing my mind." Emily insisted stubbornly.

Paige smiled. "I see. Well I might have to torture you for hours then." She suggested, shifting from her position on the couch so she can move a little closer to the girl.

Emily shrugged. "I don't mind." She answered, slowly wrapping her arms around Paige's neck.

"Good." Paige whispered before pulling Emily close to her and meeting the girl's lips with hers.

"So next week after finals it's officially the holiday season. Fall term's over, going home to Rosewood again." Emily added when they came up for air.

Paige moved away from Emily a little knowing the girl wanted to talk. "We'll be careful while we're there." She promised, remembering Emily's distress a few days ago and the girl's admission that she's having a hard time with what they're doing. "We won't get caught."

"No I know. I just meant it's going to be hard." Emily admitted. _First Christmas since Jai died and..._ "Spending another holiday without my dad around." She explained.

Paige stroked Emily's arm gently. "You know he'd rather be home with you and your mom." She reminded the girl.

"I know. But it still sucks." Emily confessed. "What about you? Are you excited for the holidays?" She asked, trying to steer the conversation to the girl's plans instead.

Paige moved to start clearing the cartons of takeout on the coffee table, aware that Emily was studying her. "Um, not really." She finally answered. "My dad and I aren't really into the whole holiday spirit. I've spent Christmas Day and New Year's Day with Jai's family since I was ten. My dad used to drop me off in Philly when Jai still lived there then when she moved here I came over to their house on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. There were some changes here." She added, looking at Emily pointedly. "Jai and I weren't kids anymore so we didn't spend Christmas and New Year like we used to. She spent it with you."

Emily nodded, starting to miss Jai but she mentally shook her head. _Focus. You're with Paige right now_. "So are you going to spend your Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve with them again or are you going to celebrate this year with your dad?" She asked, still studying the girl.

"Probably neither." Paige answered, not meeting Emily's eyes. "I'm not really comfortable going to the Hayes' with everything that's been going on between us and although my dad said that he's going to be home for the holidays, he's said that before but he always ended up getting called for work anyway so I wouldn't hold my breath." She added, shrugging indifferently.

Emily inclined her head to the side, not saying anything. It can't be easy for Paige. She's slowly starting to learn that the girl tends to brush things off but she knew, like any other person, Paige wanted to spend the holidays with someone she cared about.

"But that's like, two weeks from today. We still have to get through finals next week." Paige continued, trying to change the subject as her eyes finally met the girl's.

"Ugh, I know." Emily agreed, taking Paige's hint. "This is our first finals week in UPenn and I'm really nervous." She admitted. "But we've taken lots of exams before this one. This should be no different. Right?"

"I don't know what to answer to that." Paige replied, laughing a little. "I want to reassure you that it is but I think you'll hear the panic in my voice when I squeak."

"Well tomorrow's the last day of classes. Then we have two reading days before all hell breaks loose starting Friday. We need to study for it." Emily added, hoping Paige would take the hint.

"Well duh. Thanks for pointing out the obvious." Paige said lightly, completely missing what Emily was trying to say.

Emily sighed. "No, I meant we should..."

Paige nodded, agreeing. "Shouldn't..."

"Study together." They said at the same time before staring at each other and laughing nervously.

"Um, okay. I'm confused. I don't think I understood anything we just said." Emily admitted. "Do you or do you not want to study together?"

"Do you?" Paige said in reply.

"I think I said I wanted to. You said you didn't." Emily pointed out.

"No I thought you didn't want to study together so I said we shouldn't." Paige hurriedly explained. "I figured it's fine since I have Reese and our study group..."

"I want to study with you." Emily interjected. "But if you'd rather be with Reese..."

"Em, come on. I already told you. All Reese and I ever did were study and hang out _platonically_. She's just been helping me out all this time. With my studies among other things. She's my friend. That's it." Paige promised.

"Then why didn't you just tell me that when you first introduced her to me? Why did you say you were going on a date with her that night?" Emily asked, looking at Paige hesitantly.

Paige took a deep breath. "Because I didn't want you to think that I'm stupid or something for needing help with my studies considering we just started college." She confessed.

"So you made me jealous instead?" Emily continued wryly. "Paige, I'm not going to make fun of you if I find out that you're getting help. It's not like you're expected to be a genius once you set foot in UPenn just because you're studying in an Ivy League school. You shouldn't have lied."

"I know you weren't going to make fun of me. That's not the reason I lied." Paige admitted. "The thing is, I already liked you back then and I was trying to change your opinion of me so I didn't tell you the truth." She explained.

"Paige, you may be a lot of things but stupid isn't one of them. First thing that comes to mind is player, actually." Emily admitted. "You telling me you're going on a date with Reese that day didn't change that." She pointed out.

Paige smiled; unable to hide her joy at finding out that Emily seemed to have liked her for a few months now. "Em, had I known that thinking I was on a date with Reese that day would make you jealous I would've opted to tell you the truth and I wouldn't have left that café until you said yes to having dinner with me that night." She pointed out. "Does it bother you that I spend so much time with her?"

"Alone? Yeah." Emily admitted quietly.

"You're the only girl I like. I told you I don't want to see anyone else." Paige reminded Emily. "Don't let it bother you."

"It's Reese that bothers me." Emily explained. "She doesn't know we're seeing each other and she might make a move on you."

Paige laughed. "Reese thinks I'm still pining after you. And she has a girlfriend. I doubt she'll make a move on me." She said patiently. "But... even if she does I'm perfectly capable of repelling her advances." She added, trying to make Emily laugh but the girl didn't. "Bring over your study materials on Wednesday morning and we'll study here." She finally said.

"I think we should study somewhere else. Like a café outside of campus." Emily suggested.

"Why? What's wrong with studying here?" Paige asked, looking around her apartment.

Emily squinted, trying to figure out if the girl's confusion was genuine. "Paige, I don't know about you but I find it hard to study here when there's a couch and a bed and we're alone." She finally pointed out when she realized the girl was serious.

Paige shrugged. "I don't think it's hard." She said innocently.

Emily smiled, knowing Paige was just messing with her now. "_Really_." She said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. _Really_." Paige repeated.

Emily slowly leaned forward and kissed Paige, pulling away just as the girl leaned closer to her. She gently pushed Paige, making the girl lie down on the couch before moving on top of her. Emily kissed Paige again, this time moving her lips languidly against the girl's and when Paige slightly parted her lips; Emily took the invitation and lightly brushed her tongue over it, entering Paige's mouth a little before pulling away.

"Do you want to study?" Emily asked innocently.

Paige laughed. "Point taken." She whispered, caressing the girl's smooth cheek. "But we're not studying now..." She trailed off, pulling the girl close to her and urgently meeting Emily's lips with hers.

* * *

"I come bearing gifts!" Spencer eagerly announced once she entered her and Emily's room on Tuesday afternoon. "Well technically it's just one gift but still... I come bearing a gift." She said before closing the door behind her.

Emily looked up from the book she was reading while lying face down on her bed and got up into a sitting position when Spencer walked over to her. "What's this?" She asked, taking the slim, rectangular box her friend handed to her. She turned it over in her hands and studied the green bow on top and the plain, white tag the size of a calling card attached to it before looking at Spencer again.

"A gift. From Gary. It's an advance Christmas present." Spencer explained before depositing her things on her study table. "Go ahead. Open it." She urged before sitting on her bed. "I ran into her outside my Philosophy class and she asked that I give that to you."

"You ran into her." Emily repeated dubiously.

"What? I did." Spencer insisted.

Emily shook her head and slowly opened the gift, careful not to tear the wrapping since she planned to give it back to the girl. She felt her eyes widen in surprise when she saw what was inside. Lowering the box, she took out the fountain pen inside and studied it, sure that what she was holding costs hundreds of dollars. Maybe even more. She glanced at the card attached to the box and read Gary's simple message.

_Just in case I'm not around to lend you one. – G._

"Wow. That is... is that _real gold_? My eyes hurt from here. Do me a favor and move that thing away from direct sunlight please." Spencer said humorously, covering her eyes.

Emily returned the pen inside the box and fixed the wrapping, not the least bit amused at her friend's quip. She can't accept this gift.

"I totally envy you right now." Spencer continued, oblivious to Emily's distress. "Gary is just so smitten with you and she's like an older version of Jai."

"For the last time, Spence. I'm not interested in her!" Emily exclaimed, frustrated. "Stop forcing me to see where things go with her. You're supposed to be my friend. Not hers."

"I _am_ your friend. That's why I'm talking you into seeing her." Spencer explained. "Do you ever plan on committing to someone again?"

"I don't know." Emily replied. "It's barely been a year since Jai died."

"Em, I know you still love Jai. You always will. But there are other girls out there and I think you should try. I know they don't come close to Jai but you can't put your life on hold for her. You need to let her go." Spencer said gently.

"I'm not ready." Emily admitted.

"You know why I'm urging you to see where things go with Gary? It's because she's put-together, responsible, decisive. Those were some of the qualities that you saw in Jai and made you fall in love with her." Spencer reminded her friend.

Emily stared at the photo on her bedside table. "Maybe I don't want someone like Jai this time around. Jai's Jai. I don't want to look for her in someone else." She said, looking at her friend.

"That's fine. So long as it's someone in the realm of Jai and not someone like her best friend, I, Hanna and Aria don't have a problem with that." Spencer commented, making Emily narrow her eyes.

"What's wrong with Paige?" Emily asked, trying not to sound indignant.

Spencer let out a short laugh. "Uh, _everything_. Did you knock your head on something?" She asked offhandedly. "Do I need to remind you of every single thing she said and did to you?"

"No, Spence. I don't need you to walk me through it. I experienced those things firsthand for three years." Emily pointed out, annoyed. "But she's trying to change and trying to make up for all of those things. You know that."

Spencer quickly got up. "Actually, I don't." She replied. "You shouldn't let Paige fool you so easily." She said, her voice firm. "You may have forgiven her and may even think you're friends with her now but we won't be able to forgive her so easily for everything she put you through. I'm just tolerating her when she's around." Spencer revealed. "We were there the whole time, Em. We saw how much pain she caused you. Don't think she's being nice to you because she cares. She made a promise to Jai to take care of you. That's it." She reminded her friend. "You can get mad at us for hating her but that won't stop us from looking out for you. Someone has to. We don't want to see you get hurt once she decides to stop keeping that promise." She added before walking out.

* * *

Emily focused on busing the tables inside the café that afternoon, aware that Paige kept stealing glances at her. It took everything she had not to do the same since the girl was sitting on the loveseat with Reese. As far as the junior team captain was concerned, Paige's feelings for her were unreciprocated. She wiped a table clean with a dishrag before heading to the back room to deposit the used cups, plates and utensils near the sink, giving Aaron a smile as the guy took the dirty dishes to wash them. Emily was about to head back outside but stopped short when she saw Gary enter the café and her eyes immediately drifted to Paige, trying to see the girl's reaction.

_Good thing I brought the gift with me_. Emily thought, deciding to get Gary's present inside her bag before heading back outside. She had a strong hunch that Gary was going to come by today. That's why she decided to bring the gift with her. She emerged from the back room without looking at Paige, her eyes focused solely on Gary. She didn't get a chance to tell Paige about the gift yet.

"Just the lady I wanted to see." Gary said in greeting when she saw Emily appear behind the counter.

"Hey." Emily said, giving the girl a faint smile.

"I just stopped by to ask if you got my gift." Gary explained, getting straight to the point once she reached the counter.

"Yeah. I did. Actually that's the reason why I'm glad you came by." Emily admitted, taking out the gift-wrapped box and sliding it towards the girl. "I can't accept that." She said apologetically.

"Why?" Gary asked, giving Emily a quizzical smile. "It's a gift."

"It's a really expensive gift. I don't know much about writing pens but I'm sure from the way it looks and its weight... it's really expensive." Emily repeated. "I can't accept that."

"Emily, it's just a gift." Gary insisted, smiling. "No strings attached. I don't expect anything in return from you. I just wanted to give you something for Christmas."

"The thing is, it's not just a simple gift. If I accept that it's like encouraging you to keep pursuing me romantically and I don't want you to." Emily finally confessed. "I'm flattered with all this attention, Gary. But I'm not available."

Gary nodded and finally decided to take the gift back. "You're one hard lady to please. But I didn't get to where I am by giving up so easily." She added, putting the gift inside her bag. "I'd ask you out to dinner but I have a feeling you're going to turn me down."

"Sorry. I'm studying with a few friends tonight." Emily lied, glancing past Gary for a split second to check what Paige was doing at the moment and saw that the girl was pretending to be engrossed in a conversation with Reese.

"For the finals? Isn't that a little too soon? That's what the reading days are for and that doesn't start until tomorrow." Gary pointed out.

"I know but two days aren't really enough for me to get ready for the finals." Emily replied.

"You know. If you join MUSE next semester you'd have all the resources you need to ace all your finals until you graduate." Gary said offhandedly. "That's only one of the perks of being a member. There's a lot to gain by joining us. You've experienced that firsthand last week and though it was only for a few hours, I can tell you fit in that crowd. Think about it. You have the holidays to do that. I know I'll be thinking about you." She added, giving Emily a meaningful smile before sauntering away.

Emily stared after Gary, the distress she must be feeling written all over her face because Paige moved to get up but she subtly shook her head to tell the girl that she's fine. She checked the time on her watch. One more hour until her shift ends. She couldn't wait to be alone with Paige tonight.

* * *

"She's bordering on sexual harassment, Em." Paige insisted, worriedly studying the girl seated on the couch next to her. She glanced at the half-finished dinner on the coffee table in front of Emily and rubbed the girl's back comfortingly. "You need to report her or file a restraining order against her or something." She added, tucking a strand of hair behind Emily's ear.

Emily laughed wryly. "Paige, she hasn't done anything that falls in the sexual harassment realm." She pointed out.

"Are you sure about that? Because I think she's harassing you. I'm no expert but you look harassed right now." Paige said worriedly. "You didn't even finish your dinner and you love Moo Shu Pork."

"I'm just not that hungry and I have a lot of things on my mind." Emily admitted, resting her head on her hand and looking at Paige. "First Spencer, then Gary. Somehow I don't think anyone will side with me once they find out that I've been seeing someone all this time and I couldn't tell Gary that's why she kept pursuing me." She explained before taking a deep breath. "Gary could say she didn't know. If she did she would've stopped. And then everyone would blame me instead for leading her on." She added, reaching for Paige's hand. "I didn't really tell her I was seeing you when I said I wasn't available. She just thinks I'm grieving that's why I won't say yes to her. Who knows? If I told her she might back off."

"Well do you want to tell her?" Paige asked gently. "'Cos I'm fine either way. If you want to tell her or you don't. I'll do what you want."

Emily sported a real smile for the first time since they arrived at Paige's apartment and she leaned forward to kiss the girl on the cheek. "Thanks. But I still don't want anyone to know." She admitted.

Paige nodded. "Okay. Well so long as she doesn't force a kiss on you or anything else I'll be on my best behavior." She promised. "Now tell me what's up with Spencer."

Emily bit her bottom lip, keeping silent as she contemplated whether or not to tell the girl the problem. "My friends really hate you. Especially Spence." She finally confessed.

"That isn't really news." Paige pointed out teasingly. "Tell me what happened." She urged when the girl didn't smile.

"Gary gave me a gift earlier today." Emily began. "It was this really expensive gold fountain pen and she gave it to Spencer when their paths supposedly crossed this morning so my friend could give it to me. It's really annoying because it's like Gary's got Spencer on her side when she's supposed to be my friend. Spence keeps pushing me to date her..."

"Let me guess. She said Gary's like Jai. Only older." Paige continued. "It's okay. You can say it." She added when she saw the reluctance in the girl's eyes. "And that thought actually crossed my mind as well. That she's like an older version of Jai. But not really because Jai knows when to stop. Unlike Gary."

"Well Spencer doesn't see that. She thinks Gary is the person I should start dating because she has some of the qualities I saw in Jai that made me love her. When I said I didn't want someone like Jai, Spence said just so long as it's not you my friends are okay with that. And I just..." Emily said, trailing off. "They won't forgive you."

"Do you want to end things between us?" Paige asked quietly. "I don't like seeing you this way, Em. I don't want you to distance yourself from your friends just to see me."

"I don't want to stop seeing you." Emily insisted. "I just wish you weren't so horrible to me in high school." She admitted.

"Em... I could easily come up to Spencer and your other friends and tell them I like you. But we both know the reason we're sneaking around goes beyond what your friends think of me. In fact their opinion of me is hardly the issue at all." Paige reminded the girl. "Because even if I was nice to you in high school we'd still be sitting here thinking this isn't right. That you're supposed to be off limits and I'm supposed to be off limits because of Jai. That feeling won't go away."

"I know." Emily replied, feeling guilty again. "But maybe if you were I'd have someone tell me now that it's okay to like you. Instead of hearing Spencer constantly remind me that it isn't."

"Well on the bright side, you got an expensive pen. Maybe we could sell it and buy an invisibility cloak or something." Paige suggested, trying to make Emily laugh. "How much do you think those things cost if they existed?"

"Ugh, why didn't I think of that?" Emily asked, a faint smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. "I should've asked for your opinion first before I decided to return the gift to Gary earlier at the café."

"You gave back the gift?! But we could've bought tons of ice cream with that if we can't find a cloak!" Paige exclaimed, feigning disappointment.

"I couldn't accept an expensive gift like that because I don't want her to think that she has a chance." Emily said, getting serious.

"Yeah I get that. I mean, who needs an expensive pen anyway?" Paige asked, happy that Emily just wanted to see her despite not being exclusive. "It's hard to take down notes as it is while the professor is giving a lecture. I don't think I'll be able to concentrate if I have to constantly maintain a firm grip on my pen because I'm worried that someone might snatch it and run away with it in the middle of a class. And then everyone's attention will suddenly turn to me because I'm bawling my eyes out over a pen."

Emily finally laughed. "Yeah. I'm fine with using a regular pen if that's what's going to happen eventually." She said, shaking her head wryly. "Besides. I could always just borrow a pen from you considering we'll have three classes together next sem."

Paige nodded confidently. "Don't worry. I got you covered. I've got blue pens, red pens, black pens, sign pens, gel pens..."

Emily leaned forward to kiss Paige, effectively silencing the girl.

"Tech pens..." Paige whispered, parting her lips as Emily deepened their kiss. "Ow ow ow ow ow!" She suddenly exclaimed when the girl's hand rested on her right knee.

"Sorry." Emily uttered, hurriedly moving away when she saw Paige wince.

"It's okay." Paige said, shaking her head. "It reminded me that I should probably change the dressing."

"I'll do it. Just rest your knee." Emily instructed, standing up to go to Paige's bathroom to get some gauze. "Are you okay with going out tomorrow to study?" She asked once she was in the living room again. "Maybe we should stay here." She suggested, studying the girl worriedly as she deposited the gauze on the coffee table.

Paige's eyes drifted to Emily's lips. "I think we'll be more productive if we studied outside." She answered as she brought her eyes to meet the girl's. "I'm fine. We're just going to sit for hours in that café anyway."

Emily headed for Paige's fridge to take out the ice pack the girl had been using since her accident. "But if your wound starts to hurt shouldn't you elevate it? How are you going to do that when you're outside?" She asked, going back to Paige's side.

"It doesn't hurt that much." Paige promised. "But thanks for worrying." She added. Though she enjoyed being taken care of by the girl, she didn't want to see Emily this worried about her. "We'll go outside to study tomorrow."

"Okay. But if it starts to hurt I'm dragging you back here." Emily reminded the girl as she began to tend to Paige's wound. She needed to change the gauze so she carefully undid the bandage, feeling guilty again when she saw the huge gash. "Are you sure it's healing?" She asked, looking up at Paige apprehensively. "Maybe you should have this checked out. I'll come with you."

"That's not necessary. It's healing." Paige reassured the girl. "There's just some swelling but the ice pack helps with that."

"If it hurts maybe you should take some painkillers for it." Emily suggested. "I can buy some now?"

Paige shook her head. "I can't. I mean I don't want to." She hurriedly corrected when she noticed Emily's confusion. "I can handle the pain. I don't really take painkillers."

"Reese must've been fuming when you said you couldn't run this afternoon." Emily commented, placing a new gauze over the wound.

"Reese doesn't know." Paige revealed.

Emily looked up at the girl, confused. "How could she not know?" She asked, studying Paige's guilty look. "You ran this afternoon didn't you? _That's why your knee hurts now_! Paige!"

"I didn't want her to know." Paige explained, cringing.

"But you were wearing track shorts." Emily reminded the girl. "How could she not have seen this?" She said, pointing to the wound.

"I was wearing knee supports so it hid the bandage. I wear one every now and then. She's used to it." Paige answered.

Emily wordlessly wrapped the elastic bandage on Paige's wound, pulling at it until the girl flinched.

"Ow! Careful! Injured person over here!" Paige exclaimed.

"That's for being so hardheaded!" Emily shot back before loosening the bandage a little to let the wound breathe. She got up and sat beside the girl, letting Paige rest her injured knee on her lap. She leaned forward and reached for the ice pack on the coffee table and placed it over Paige's wound with a towel underneath. "Good thing today's your last track practice." She said quietly.

Paige took Emily's hand and squeezed it lightly. "I won't do it again." She promised, knowing how worried the girl is. She moved closer and leaned forward to kiss Emily on the side of her head. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"I'll just take the bus home." Emily decided. "Don't drive me back to campus tonight so you can rest your knee."

"Okay." Paige said in agreement. "I can't wait for next sem." She suddenly said, smiling at the girl. "Having you as my classmate in three subjects means I get to see you without having to make up excuses all the time."

"Even if we don't get to do things like this?" Emily asked, intertwining their hands.

"I admit it's not going to be easy but if it meant getting to see you I am fine with just sitting next to you." Paige promised.

"Why are you okay with sneaking around now?" Emily said, looking at Paige curiously.

"I guess I finally understood your fear. I've been living in that town for years and I know how much the people there thrive on gossip. I'm used to it but you're not. I know how it feels. Crossing paths with familiar faces that smile at you but once your back is turned to them they wouldn't hesitate to talk about you. I don't want you to experience that." Paige explained, smiling at the girl faintly.

They looked towards the direction of the door when they heard a sharp knock.

"I'll get it." Emily offered but Paige shook her head.

"I'll get it." Paige repeated, getting up and slowly making her way towards it.

Emily stood up and began clearing the coffee table of the takeout cartons, heading for the kitchen to wash their glasses.

"Kayla." Paige uttered once she opened the door and saw the girl standing outside.

"Hey." Kayla said in greeting, giving Paige an eager smile.

"What's up?" Paige asked, moving to close the door a little.

"Nothing much. I was just wondering if I could maybe catch a ride with you back to Rosewood once your finals are over next week." Kayla said in reply. "I don't mind waiting at school until you're done. Just swing by Girard on your way home."

Paige nodded. "Sure. No problem." She answered, smiling at the girl.

"Hey. What happened to your knee?" Kayla asked when her gaze drifted to the bandage.

"Tripped while I was training last week. Don't worry. It's almost healed." Paige added. She was counting for the wound to heal before she had to go home to Rosewood so she wouldn't have to explain to her dad about the accident and she's counting on Kayla not to make a big deal out of it.

"Doesn't look like it's almost healed. It's still wrapped in bandage." Kayla pointed out, giving Paige a suspicious look.

"Just to make sure that it'll heal faster. You know, it won't get easily infected since it's not exposed." Paige explained, hoping what she just said made sense.

"Do you have company? Who's inside with you?" Kayla asked when she faintly heard the faucet turn on then off. She looked past Paige and suddenly grinned. "Hey, Em!" She called out.

Emily moved from the sink and glanced at Kayla. "Hey." She said in reply, hoping her voice didn't seem nervous just now. It's not like being there was out of the ordinary.

"I guess you two finally kissed and made up then." Kayla said jokingly. "Only without the kissing of course." She added, laughing.

"Of course!" Paige repeated, trying to laugh with the girl while praying her cheeks weren't starting to flush.

"So what brings you to this neck of the woods?" Kayla asked Emily.

"Finals." Emily answered, saying the first thing that came to mind. "Paige and I were going to start studying. We just grabbed some dinner first." She added, gesturing to the glass she was holding.

"Oh. Okay. Well good luck with your finals." Kayla said to the two girls. "I guess I better leave then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Emily and Paige repeated at the same time before Paige closed the door.

"I don't think I should leave just yet." Emily said wryly. "Not when Kayla could come back here or suddenly open her apartment door and see me just as I'm about to leave."

"Want to pass the time?" Paige asked, walking over to Emily. "I have a few ideas on how to help you." She added, resting her hands on the girl's hips.

"I don't know about that." Emily replied, slowly wrapping her arms around Paige's neck. "But you're welcome to try."

Paige grinned. "Then try I will." She whispered before closing her eyes and meeting Emily's soft lips with hers.

* * *

"Apple juice. Just like you ordered." Emily said as she approached Paige on the couch they occupied on the far side of the room.

It was Wednesday afternoon and the two girls have been studying for hours in Café Twelve, a café in the gayborhood area of Philly in Washington Square West. So far, the day has been going well for them even though they had to lie to spend time together today. Emily told Spencer she was studying with some of her teammates while Paige told Reese she wasn't feeling well so she'll just join their study group tomorrow instead.

"Thanks." Paige said, looking up and smiling at Emily gratefully. "Here, let me take those from you." She offered, getting up to take the bottle of juice and Emily's coffee from the girl. She placed their beverages on the table amidst the clutter of their study materials before sitting down once again.

"I think that's my third cup of coffee and your second bottle of juice." Emily reminded the girl. "I probably won't be able to sleep until Friday and then Reese is going to kill me for missing the dodgeball tournament on Saturday."

Paige moved a little to make room for Emily who promptly sat next to her. She bit her bottom lip to keep from grinning, forcing her expression to remain neutral when the girl's skin brushed against hers. She casually looked around to see if anyone was watching them knowing Emily didn't want people to think they were together.

"Right. I forgot you have that college house cup thing on Saturday morning." Paige said, moving some of her books on the table in front of them. "Want me to call you to wake you up just in case you sleep through your alarm?"

"I guess it wouldn't hurt." Emily admitted, smiling at the girl.

Emily moved closer, the space between them now almost non-existent. She didn't mind sitting this close to the girl. On the outside it seemed like she's unaffected but her pulse was racing when her skin brushed against Paige's. She subtly looked around to see if people were staring at them and was pleased when she saw that they were all preoccupied, either studying for the finals like them or deep in conversation with their companions. Paige picked the right place for them to study.

"So we've covered MGMT100. What's next?" Emily asked as she looked around the cluttered coffee table in front of them which hid their knees.

"Um, I hate to say this but I think it's time for Calculus." Paige answered, looking at Emily apologetically.

Emily's eyes widened. "Are you serious? Already?" She complained, stifling a groan.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. We've covered the subjects I have and yours too. Calculus is the only one left." She pointed out.

"_Great_." Emily said sarcastically as she reached for her calculator and found her textbook amidst the clutter.

"I'll do odd-numbered problems; you do even-numbered ones?" Paige suggested, looking at the girl seated next to her. "You choose. I'm fine either way." She added as she reached for her calculator and looked around for her own book

Emily rested her elbow on her thigh before she leaned her head on her hand, staring at Paige's features. She suddenly smiled, fighting the urge to kiss Paige. "You look so cute when you're serious." She said quietly.

Paige felt her cheeks turn several shades of red. "Don't say things like that when we're in public!" She exclaimed, fighting the urge to close the distance between them and kiss Emily.

"Why?" Emily asked innocently, aware that Paige is staring at her lips.

"You know why." Paige shot back, frustrated. "You're mean!"

Emily laughed. "Want to make out in the bathroom?" She suggested, glancing towards the direction of the aforementioned room and raising an eyebrow at Paige meaningfully.

"What?! No! It's unsanitary!" Paige protested. "Plus it's a public bathroom. I don't think I can properly kiss you with people coming in and out of it."

"Then do you want to continue studying back in your apartment instead?" Emily asked coyly.

"I want to _study_, Em. You proved your point last Monday night about studying in my apartment, remember? It's small but if I look hard enough I can see your hickey from here." Paige said in a low voice, squinting and making Emily cover her neck. She laughed. "I'm kidding. The point is, I don't think we'll be doing much studying in a place where it's just the two of us and there's a couch and a bed."

"Like this couch?" Emily said, giving Paige a playful grin.

Paige sighed. "Em, you find my discomfort amusing don't you?" She asked, giving the girl a wary look.

Emily shrugged. "A little. Yeah." She admitted.

"Well it's not." Paige said quietly. "Do you know how badly I want to kiss you right now? It's frustrating. I'm crazy about you and I can't show it in public."

"Are you saying you don't want to do this anymore?" Emily asked, suddenly getting worried.

Paige shook her head. "No, I do. I don't want to stop seeing you. And I have my own reasons for agreeing to this setup." She added. "I just wish you'd stop teasing me so much when we're in public."

Emily realized for the first time how hard this was for Paige and her smile disappeared. "Sorry." She said quietly. "I'm sorry I still don't know what this is. And that I'm hurting you because of it."

"Don't be. I like you. So much. If I didn't I would've backed out of this. I know you're still trying to figure things out and I told you I'm fine with waiting." Paige promised. "Let's just get back to studying so we can leave for my apartment soon. Being this near to you is driving me crazy." She confessed, trying to lighten the mood.

"Okay." Emily said in agreement, focusing on her Calculus book instead. "I'll take the even-numbered problems." She added.

Paige nodded and began solving the odd-numbered ones. She inhaled sharply when she suddenly felt Emily slide her hand between them and swallowed hard when the girl took her hand.

"We can solve problems using one hand, right?" Emily asked, not looking at Paige.

"It's a challenge but I think I'm up for it." Paige replied as she changed the position of their hands and intertwined them without looking at the girl as well.

"Just so you know..." Emily suddenly said, making Paige glance at her. "I'm crazy about you too." She confessed, meeting the girl's eyes briefly before looking away.

* * *

Paige visibly winced when she heard the shrill sound of the whistle being blown by Reese on Saturday morning, wondering how many deities the girl prayed to that she ended up being appointed captain of the dodgeball team of Harrison College House.

"You know those cartoons you watched when you were a kid where there's a guy blowing on his whistle and then he blows so hard on it that he ends up swallowing it instead? I feel as if that's about to happen any minute now." Paige said once Reese was standing next to her on the sidelines of the basketball court in Pottruck Center. She turned to the girl and narrowed her eyes, waiting for that exact scenario to happen.

"What are you doing here again?" Reese asked, ignoring Paige's quip.

"Why? Is this event exclusive?" Paige said in reply. "I just wanted to see how these college house cups work." She continued, her eyes following Emily's movement across the court as the girl deftly avoided being hit by a ball. "I'll never get the chance to participate in these events since I don't live in one."

Paige mentally shook her head. She had to hand it to the girl. How Emily could look graceful while running around dodging balls was a mystery to her. If she was the one inside that court, she wouldn't look graceful. She'd look fierce and she'd probably be sporting a scowl as well. But Emily was just running around the court, her face serious as she concentrated on avoiding and catching the balls but never losing the grace Paige felt Emily was born with.

"You know you can blink and take a breath as well. Doing those things is free. Emily won't disappear from your sight if you did." Reese said, nudging Paige lightly. "I gotta admit, I didn't know she's that good. I mean I just assumed people _know_ how to play the sport. I didn't think she was excellent at it." She added, watching Emily as well.

"Yeah Emily's one of the best dodgeball players back in high school." Paige revealed, tearing her eyes away from the girl to focus on Reese. "We had PE together our sophomore year so I know. She was team captain most of the time."

"Well she and Spencer seem to be perfect for this sport." Reese pointed out, nodding her head towards the girl who Emily just managed to tag back into the game. "They're in sync."

"They've been friends for years. They've got each other's backs and pretty much know how the other person's mind strategizes so yeah. Good call on your part, _captain_." Paige emphasized, patting Reese on the shoulder for effect.

Reese gave the girl a sarcastic smile before blowing on her whistle to call for a timeout from the referee. "You're lucky you're my friend. I'm giving you five minutes with your dream girl." She said before walking over to the group.

Paige fidgeted with the bottle of water she was carrying as she contemplated whether or not to head over there as well. She didn't tell Emily she was coming by to see her play and she doubted the girl would appreciate it if she handed the bottle to her.

_Emily will probably freak out_. Paige thought, relieved that she decided not to hand the bottle of water to the girl when she saw Connor hand Spencer one. She watched as Connor tenderly wiped the sweat off Spencer's forehead while talking to his girlfriend, wishing she could do the same to Emily. _Not that she's my girlfriend or anything_.

"Is that for me?" Paige tore her eyes away from the couple when she heard Emily's voice near her. She turned around, surprised to see the girl smiling at her.

"Uh, yeah." Paige answered, smiling back as she handed the bottle to the girl and let their fingers brush for a brief second.

"Thanks. What are you doing here?" Emily asked, twisting the cap off and drinking a generous amount of the water.

"I wanted to see you play." Paige admitted. Most of the people inside the building were standing a few steps away from them and she realized she and Emily can talk openly.

"You should be resting your knee, Paige." Emily reminded the girl, glancing at Paige's right knee where she knew there was a bandage wrapped around the wound despite the girl wearing jeans at the moment.

"Yeah I know. But I wanted to ask in person if we can have lunch afterwards then study again." Paige answered. "Unless of course you already made plans with Spencer."

Emily smiled. "She and Connor made plans afterwards but I declined to join them in the off chance that you might ask." She admitted, handing back the bottle of water to the girl. "I'll go to your place after I freshen up and I'll bring the food as well. Just go home and rest that knee of yours."

Paige nodded. "Okay." She said in agreement. She let her eyes study the girl's outfit, admiring Emily's seemingly mile-long legs in the black gym shorts the girl was wearing. She forced herself to focus her attention on Emily's face but instead found herself studying Emily's gray racerback tank top that accentuated the girl's perfect curves. She let her gaze linger on Emily's slender neck before finally meeting the girl's sparkling brown eyes. "I am seriously tempted to wait until the game's over and offer you a ride just so you could come over to my place wearing that."

Emily felt her cheeks grow warm with Paige's blatant admiration. "I don't think you have studying for the finals in your mind right now." She managed to say teasingly as she raised her arms to fix her ponytail.

"What gave it away?" Paige asked, smiling at the girl. "You look gorgeous by the way. In case I wasn't being obvious just now. And I really want to kiss you long and hard but I can wait until we're alone. I just wanted to put it out there."

"You probably can't tell 'cos my face is all red from playing but you're making me blush." Emily admitted.

"Oh I can tell. I like making you blush." Paige said in a low voice. "Good luck out there." She added just as Reese blew her whistle again to signal the end of the timeout. Paige watched Emily head back inside the court and waved a hand goodbye to Reese before she exited the building, eager to be alone with Emily in just a few hours.

* * *

"Can we take a break?" Emily asked, looking at the girl seated next to her on the couch. "My brain needs a break. We've been studying for five hours straight."

"Finally." Paige said, dropping the pen she was using and facing Emily. "Want me to make you stop thinking?" She offered, immediately leaning forward to kiss the girl once.

Paige had been dying to kiss Emily for more than a minute ever since the girl showed up on her door wearing the black gym shorts and a red jacket. The girl wasn't wearing the jacket now and Paige was pleasantly surprised that Emily was wearing underneath it the UPenn track and field t-shirt she lent the girl since Emily changed out of her top before she came over.

"You do have a way of doing that." Emily admitted, wrapping her arms around the girl's neck and kissing Paige back.

Emily felt herself being gently guided to lie down on the couch and she didn't resist, parting her lips to give access to Paige's tongue. Her pulse hammered when she felt the girl's leg slide between hers and knew her cheeks were probably flushed when she felt Paige's bare skin against hers. She came over straight from the dodgeball tournament, wearing the clothes Paige wanted to see her in. She changed shirts of course but she still wore the gym shorts and now, feeling Paige's bare thigh against hers since the girl was wearing track shorts, her heart was pounding. It was the first time that they were kissing wearing these kinds of clothes. Usually they were in jeans or at least one of them is.

"Ow." Emily heard herself say when Paige rested her hand on her thigh.

"What?" Paige asked, quickly getting up into a sitting position to study Emily. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I guess my legs are a little sore from that dodgeball tournament. I haven't played that sport since we were in second year." Emily admitted, rubbing her left thigh since it hurt more than the right.

"I can massage it if you want?" Paige offered, moving a little to put some space between them.

"Yeah. Okay." Emily answered, extending her left leg and resting it on Paige's lap.

Paige placed her hands on Emily's thigh and began massaging the area she saw the girl rub earlier. "Better?" She asked, looking at Emily hesitantly.

Emily shook her head. "No. Too light. You need to put more pressure." She instructed. "Ow! Not too much!" She exclaimed, wincing.

"Sorry." Paige muttered, trying to gauge the pressure she was exerting on Emily's thigh.

Emily laughed. "Jai does it better." She said offhandedly.

"Show me." Paige said, suddenly getting serious.

The smile on Emily's lips disappeared. "Paige, no." She answered, shaking her head. "Do your thing. It's fine. I'm sorry I said that."

"Doing _my thing_ is hurting you. Come on. Show me how she does it." Paige insisted.

Emily hesitated. Her muscles were really starting to ache because of the massage Paige was giving her. She finally took Paige's hand and guided the girl, showing how Jai usually massaged her sore muscles. Emily watched Paige closely as the girl committed to memory the amount of pressure to exert and the position of the fingers. She wasn't comfortable showing Paige how Jai does things.

"Okay. I think I got it." Paige finally said, nodding at Emily confidently. She began repeating what Emily showed her and finally got used to the manner with which Jai gave the girl a massage. "Better?" She asked, trying to keep the anxiety out of her voice. She didn't know if she was doing it right.

"Yeah." Emily replied, smiling faintly at the girl. "Much."

A moment of silence passed between them until Paige suddenly laughed.

"What?" Emily asked, confused.

"You're complaining of sore muscles and I'm complaining of a swollen knee. We're a couple of accident prone girls tonight." Paige explained, making Emily laugh as well. "Maybe a hot compress for your leg would help." She suggested, gently lowering Emily's leg so she could get up and head to the kitchen to warm some water.

Emily turned her head to study Paige, following the girl's movement around the kitchen as the girl filled a kettle with water and turned on the stove. She looked away when she heard her phone vibrate from the coffee table. Leaning forward, she smiled when she saw who was calling.

"Hey, mom." Emily said in greeting once she answered her phone. "What's up?" She asked, looking behind her when she realized that Paige's movement became quieter. The girl knew her mom might ask where she is if the woman heard pots and pans clanging in the background.

Emily nodded, turning around to face the balcony instead. "Yeah. Friday's the last day of our finals then I can go home for the holidays." She answered. "Before dinner? Yeah. I think I can be home before dinner on Friday. Why?"

"A guest? Yeah, okay. I'll make it." Emily promised, looking up when she felt Paige return from the kitchen. She smiled at the girl and watched Paige take a seat next to her. Emily leaned forward to move some of her things around the cluttered coffee table to make room for the small basin Paige was carrying.

"Yeah. The first exam I had yesterday was okay. I didn't ace it but I think I'll get a decent grade." Emily admitted, following Paige with her eyes when the girl got up again, heading for the bathroom or the bedroom this time.

"The next one's on Monday and I have tonight and tomorrow to study for it. That goes for the rest of my exams next week." Emily continued. She smiled when Paige kissed her softly on the head, wordlessly telling her she's back with a small towel in hand.

"Yeah. Calculus is the only subject I'm dreading actually." Emily admitted as she moved her arm out of the way to let Paige apply the hot compress on her sore thigh. She mouthed a silent _thank you_ to the girl and placed her hand on Paige's thigh when the girl moved to return to her studying.

"Yeah, mom. I'm okay." Emily said, smiling when Paige moved to take her hand, intertwining it with hers as the girl focused on reading a book. "No, I'm good. Don't worry. In fact I'm really happy right now." She admitted softly, her eyes on Paige.

* * *

"I can't believe we survived a sem." Spencer said, taking a deep breath as she let her gaze wander in front of her.

It was a Friday afternoon and she and Emily were currently standing in front of Harrison College House, waiting for their respective rides to arrive. The fall semester is officially over and they were headed home to Rosewood for the holidays.

"I know. I can't believe I lasted a sem here." Emily admitted. Just when she thought being here was going to be hard because Jai isn't around, Paige made everything better.

"You know, I really don't mind if you join me and Connor on the drive back to Rosewood. I actually prefer it than you catching a ride with Paige." Spencer added.

"And Kayla." Emily added, looking at her friend. "Spence, I've gotten a ride from Paige before for the Thanksgiving break, remember? It's not like she's going to get into trouble and drag me into it."

"I wouldn't put it past her." Spencer muttered. "Why did you ask for a ride from her anyway? The only reason you rode with her last time is because I had to stay here until Thanksgiving. You know Connor would've offered you one."

"Paige has been giving me rides ever since Jai died." Emily reminded her friend. "She's not a reckless driver. And I don't want to keep fighting with you about her so can we please call a ceasefire?" She pleaded. "I figured you wanted to be alone with Connor that's why I asked."

"Em, it's not like we're going to make out while he's driving." Spencer said, laughing. She didn't want to fight with her friend either and it was obvious that Emily was leaning towards Paige's side right now.

"Yeah but you're not going to spend the entire ride not talking. I just thought you'd want to be able to talk to him openly about anything." Emily explained. She checked the time on her watch. "I'm gonna buy a cup of coffee to go. You want anything?"

"Nope. I'm good." Spencer answered, following Emily's progress as her friend headed inside Café Prima.

Spencer turned around to look at the street once again, waiting for Connor to arrive when a gray SUV pulled up directly in front of her, effectively blocking her view of the street. _Rude much?_ She thought, annoyed. Her annoyance over the situation increased when the driver of the vehicle rolled down the window of the passenger seat and she saw who it was.

"Hey." Paige said in greeting, oblivious to what she just did as she gave Spencer a small smile.

"Should've known it was you. You're the only one rude enough to block someone's view of the street." Spencer retorted.

"Oh. Sorry. I thought you were acting as a lookout for Emily. Offering to tell her once I arrive… so I pulled over. I didn't know you were waiting for someone too." Paige explained apologetically.

Spencer stared at Paige for a second. "Why the hell would I stand here and endure the cold to wait for you?" She asked, baffled with the girl's logic.

"Spencer." Emily said sternly, reprimanding her friend with a look when she saw that the girl was giving Paige a hard time. She just got back from buying her coffee when she saw Paige pull up and she knew this was going to happen. "Come on. Retract your claws. Where's your Christmas spirit?" She said lightly.

"Ask her. She's the Grinch." Spencer said, nodding her head towards Paige. "Emily better get back to Rosewood in one piece." She added, narrowing her eyes at the girl.

"I'll try." Paige shot back sarcastically.

"Guys." Emily pleaded, running a hand through her hair in distress. She knew Paige was just trying to keep up appearances but she didn't want Spencer to hate Paige even more. She grabbed her duffel bag from the ground beside her friend and moved to open the rear door of the car to deposit her things along with Paige's and Kayla's. "I'll see you in Rosewood." She told Spencer, hugging the girl once before opening the passenger door to get in.

Paige gave Spencer a wave before rolling up the car window and shifting the gear into drive. "Sorry." She said after she let a moment of silence pass between her and Emily.

Emily shook her head. "Don't apologize. I'm sure Spencer was the one who started it. I'm sorry." She said, taking Paige's hand.

"At least I get you to myself for a few minutes before Kayla joins us." Paige pointed out, kissing the back of Emily's hand and stirring the car towards Girard.

Emily smiled. "I just want to be back in Rosewood so we could spend time in my room." She admitted, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Yeah. I am definitely ready for that. My legs could use a little climbing." Paige added.

Emily furrowed her brows, concerned. "Maybe I should come over to your house instead. Your knee..."

"Is healed." Paige finished. "The wound's closed and the swelling's gone. I can climb that tree of yours." She promised.

"Why don't you want me to come over your house?" Emily asked, laughing as she studied Paige.

_Crap_. "It's not that I don't want to. It's just easier to make out in your room. My bedroom door doesn't have a lock." Paige reminded the girl. "There goes our privacy." She added, smiling faintly at the girl.

"Yeah I remember that." Emily said, releasing Paige's hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"So who's this dinner guest your mom is having over tonight?" Paige asked, glancing at the girl once she stopped at a red light.

Emily shrugged. "I don't know. She just said it's a family friend." She replied. "It's probably one of our distant relatives from my dad's side visiting for the holidays. They do that when they know my dad isn't around. Sort of their way of making sure that me and my mom are doing okay." She explained.

"Your family sounds amazing." Paige commented, smiling at Emily earnestly. "I know it was just for a few hours but when I was at your dad's going away party I saw how happy everyone was even if they knew your dad was leaving. I've never experienced that."

"What about your relatives?" Emily asked just as Paige shifted the gear into drive again.

"We're not really into gatherings. We rarely see each other actually. We usually get together during family reunions but that hasn't happened in years." Paige admitted.

"So no relatives coming over during Christmas?" Emily guessed.

Paige nodded. "Why?" She asked, glancing at the girl.

"Just checking. I might decide to show up and surprise you." Emily answered casually.

"Oh if you show up in an elf costume I will drive them away!" Paige said eagerly.

"Elf? Nah. Maybe I'll come over as Mrs. Santa." Emily suggested, her brown eyes twinkling.

"That's _better_. That means I get to sit on your lap!" Paige exclaimed, making Emily laugh.

* * *

_Two Years Ago..._

"Come on. I want a milkshake." Kayla pleaded, pouting at Paige from the passenger seat of Nick's car.

"No." Paige repeated firmly as she concentrated on the road in front of her before shifting to make herself comfortable in the driver's seat.

Paige just got her junior driver's license and her dad gave her permission to drive around town as a way to celebrate. She invited Jai to commemorate this day but her best friend wanted to bring Emily along for the ride and hell would freeze over before she let that girl anywhere near her dad's car so in the end she asked Kayla to come along instead, confusing Jai. Paige didn't know Jai's sister was going to use the occasion to ask her to go to a drive-thru though. So now she's been spending the entire drive saying 'no' with varying intonations.

"But I'm craving for something sweet." Kayla complained.

Paige rummaged around in her jacket pockets until she found what she was looking for. "Here. Eat a candy." She suggested, handing the small food to the girl. "Give me the wrapper once you eat it and don't talk or the candy might fall out of your mouth."

Kayla frowned. "What do I have to do to make you let me eat inside this car?" She asked, pocketing the candy instead. She wanted something cold and sweet. Not something hard and sweet.

"You have to be god." Paige answered, her eyes never leaving the road.

"That's impossible." Kayla pointed out wryly.

"Then you have to make me fall madly in love with you because that's the only time I'd care more about you than this car." Paige continued, giving Kayla a smug grin.

"What? We both know I'd have better luck pretending to be god than making you love me, Paige." Kayla retorted. "If those are your conditions then I'm certain this car and your own car will be squeaky clean for the rest of your life."

"That's the plan." Paige admitted.

"You think you'll ever love someone again?" Kayla asked, getting serious.

"Someday." Paige answered. "I don't mind waiting for years because I know she's out there. The girl who I know will stick around this time. Whatever happens." She said resolutely. "And then she can eat all the food she wants inside this car. I'll even help her make a mess if it meant she'll stay for good."

"Do you hate her?" Kayla said softly. She knew it was still a sore subject for Paige after all these years.

Paige shook her head. "I get why she left. I don't blame her." She said, smiling at Kayla faintly. "But the next girl though... I won't tell my dad until I'm certain."

* * *

_Present Day..._

Kayla opened the door of the backseat to Paige's car, eager to head back to Rosewood to spend the holidays with her father. Not because they have a tradition of their own that they will celebrate but because like Thanksgiving, it was the first Christmas and New Year they would spend without Jai and she wanted to be with her dad.

"Sorry I'm late." Kayla said in greeting, closing the door gently. She waited for the two girls seated in the front of the car to acknowledge her presence but she realized they were busy.

"I'm so sorry." Emily repeated, looking around her for something to use to keep the liquid from spreading.

"Don't be. It's my fault. I should've been watching the road." Paige insisted, looking at Emily's shirt. "Are you okay? It's not piping hot is it?" She asked, taking the now empty cup of coffee and placing it on the dashboard.

"No. It's not. The coffee was already lukewarm. I'm fine, Paige." Emily answered.

Kayla winced when she heard the word. Apparently Emily just spilled her coffee in Paige's car. "_Awesome_." She muttered under her breath.

Now on top of going home to a cold house tonight, she would have to endure Paige and Emily fighting when the former yells at the latter for drinking coffee in the first place inside the car. It was déjà vu. Like she was back in that road trip she took to California with the two girls. Now it's up to her again to dissolve the tension once the two girls stopped fighting and just sat in silence the entire ride home.

"Good thing you took off your jacket earlier. At least you could hide the stain until you get home. Here. Wipe those off before they seep on your shirt." Paige said, handing Emily several tissues from inside the glove compartment.

Kayla creased her brows when she heard Paige say those words. She must've heard wrong. _Paige didn't just offer Emily tissues. Right?_ She studied the two girls closely and remembered the road trip they took last year.

_Paige has two rules when riding in her dad's car. One, no eating inside unless it's absolutely necessary like on this road trip. And even if she allows it, you can't drink juice, coffee, soda or any other beverage that isn't water. And you can't eat messy foods or foods that leave an 'aftersmell' as she likes to call it like noodles, burritos, tacos, burgers, and subs. And two, no touching the stereo. That one she's really strict about._

_And there's no one exempted from those rules._

_Nope. Well unless you're god. I'm still trying to figure out a way to trick her into believing I've become god for a day._

Back then Kayla didn't bother to tell Emily the other exemption to the rule. The girl was with her sister so she didn't see the need for Emily to know the other one. It's not like it would ever apply to her. But now, as she watched Paige fuss all over Emily, profusely apologizing for being reckless in her driving, Kayla realized that her hope to make Paige notice her just vanished. Paige only has eyes for Emily and it'd be easier for her to pretend to be god than make Paige look away from the girl she's obviously fallen in love with.

Kayla actually thought she had a shot now since Paige said she won't say anything about her feelings for Emily and Emily told her that her feelings for Paige would go away eventually. The two girls didn't plan on acting on their feelings for each other so she was hoping to make her move on Paige now. Maybe even over the holidays. A kiss underneath the mistletoe would be a perfect place to start. But then something caught her eye.

"Wait. I think there's some coffee on your arm." Paige said, stopping the girl from wearing her jacket and grabbing a clean tissue to wipe it off.

"Where? I don't see it." Emily said, looking down at her shirt and her arms. She instinctively reached over to gently tuck a strand of hair away from Paige's eyes when the girl leaned closer to her, brushing the girl's soft hair away from Paige's eyes so the girl could see where to wipe the coffee, letting her hand linger on Paige's earlobe to play with it.

And that was all Kayla needed to see. The smiles on the girls' lips and the way they touched each other took the air right out of her lungs.

_Oh my god._

* * *

"I'd rather have dinner with you." Emily said as she and Paige sat inside the girl's car later that night.

Although they just dropped off Kayla at her house, it felt like the entire drive back to Rosewood it was just the two of them. Kayla barely said anything and when Paige asked what's up with the girl's behavior; Kayla said something about needing time to process some things so they didn't bother Jai's sister the rest of the ride, letting the girl sleep at the back in peace. Now that they were really alone, sitting in the dark just a house away from hers, Emily tore her glance away from her front door when she felt Paige squeeze her hand.

"I'd rather have dinner with you too. Then do other stuff after." Paige added, making Emily smile. "But we're back in Rosewood." She reminded the girl before releasing Emily's hand reluctantly.

Emily looked down at their hands, immediately missing the contact. "I'll see you on Sunday. Right?" She asked, looking at the girl.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. We'll figure something out. You should spend more time with your friends while you're here so tomorrow you should hang out with them. I don't mind." She added. "We'll spend the entire day on Sunday together." She promised, making Emily smile. "But for now you should head inside. Your mom's waiting for you. And so is your dinner guest. I'll bring your bag through the kitchen door so we can see each other before I have to leave. Pretend you forgot it."

"Okay." Emily answered, almost leaning forward to kiss Paige goodbye but the girl shook her head, slightly pulling away. "Right." She said when she remembered anyone could see them.

Emily alighted from Paige's car and reluctantly closed the door behind her, crossing the street and walking past her neighbor's house to go inside her own house.

"Mom?" Emily called out once she was inside the cozy foyer, closing the door behind her as she did so. "I'm home!"

"In here, sweetie." Pam Fields replied, her voice carrying from inside the living room so Emily made her way towards it.

"Um, hey, mom." Emily said once she stepped inside the room, managing to hide her surprise and confusion when she saw her mother seated on the couch next to a really pretty girl with dark brown hair that ended just above her waist. The girl looked about her age and had almond-shaped eyes and thin red lips.

"Emily. I'd like you to meet Olga." Pam said, getting up and making the introductions. "Olga, this is my daughter Emily."

"Hi." Olga said in greeting, giving Emily a smile that showed off the girl's dimples.

"Hi." Emily repeated, giving the girl a small smile while trying to hide the feeling of dread that was starting to turn her stomach into knots. She knew what this was. "Mom, can I talk to you for a sec?" She asked, looking at her mother and leading the way to the kitchen without waiting for a reply.

"Sure. Excuse us." Pam said to Olga, smiling at the girl apologetically.

"Of course." Olga replied, looking around the living room to find something to do to pass the time.

"My first night back here in Rosewood and you decided to set me up with a blind date?!" Emily urgently asked her mother in a low voice once they were inside the kitchen. "Why didn't you tell me about this when you called?"

"Because I knew you were going to react this way." Pam answered. "It's just dinner, sweetie. This will give you the chance to get to know each other. I think it might be good for you."

Emily rubbed the side of her head, trying to control her annoyance. "Mom, I don't need you to set me up." She pointed out. "If I wanted to start seeing someone I would do it myself. Where did you even meet her?"

"At the hospital." Pam revealed. "No, I'm not sick." She hurriedly added when she saw her daughter frown. "It's just an annual medical checkup. Olga was sitting in the waiting area when I arrived, waiting for her aunt so we got to talking. She said she lives in the next town but she visits her aunt every now and then since the woman is old and lives by herself. She used to do it with her girlfriend but they broke up about two years ago and she hasn't been with anyone else since then."

"So what? You thought it'd be a good idea to set her up with someone whose girlfriend died not even a year ago?" Emily asked incredulously.

"I'm just trying to help. You have to start somewhere." Pam said gently. "I've gotten to know her and she's a nice girl. Good head on her shoulders, good family background..."

"Oh my god mom, I'm not a kid!" Emily exclaimed, exasperated. "I don't want to start seeing anyone exclusively. I'm still in love with Jai." She confessed.

"When do you plan on moving on then?" Pam asked worriedly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I don't know. Maybe soon, maybe never. Okay?" Emily answered, looking away.

"Paige." Pam suddenly uttered, looking past her daughter to stare at the girl standing by the open kitchen door.

Emily stiffened when she heard her mother say Paige's name. Turning around slowly, she saw the girl standing just inside the kitchen door with her duffel bag. She forgot that they agreed to meet here.

"What are you doing here?" Pam continued, giving the girl a confused look.

Paige swallowed hard. "Sorry. I knocked and the door was open so I came in." She explained, now feeling like an idiot for not waiting for Emily to open the door for her instead. "Um, I was just dropping this off. Emily forgot her things inside my car in her excitement to come home." She lied, extending her arm to hand the girl her duffel bag.

Emily wordlessly took it, unable to meet the girl's eyes. She didn't know exactly how long the girl had been standing behind her but Paige probably heard the entire conversation. Emily finally forced herself to meet Paige's eyes to see if the girl heard what she just told her mother but Paige's expression was neutral.

Paige cleared her throat awkwardly to fill the heavy silence in the room. "I'm going ahead. My dad's waiting for me." She said even though it's just her and Gwen in the house for the night.

"You drove my daughter home?" Pam asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Um. Yeah. She and Kayla were in the car with me." Paige clarified. For some reason she felt like the woman didn't approve of her and Emily being alone.

"I was the one who asked for a ride home, mom." Emily said before her mother could ask whose idea was it. "Paige didn't offer."

"Well thank you for driving my daughter home. Again." Pam added, glancing at the girl standing in front of her. "And for not giving her a hard time especially since Jasmine isn't around anymore. You're a good best friend."

Paige nodded, ignoring the way Pam said those words. "No problem. Emily actually did me a favor since she kept me company on the drive. And Kayla too, of course." She hurriedly added. She really needed to leave. "I'm gonna go ahead." Paige said, looking at Emily and jutting her thumb behind her.

"Okay." Emily answered, fighting the urge to take Paige by the hand and leave her house so she could explain what happened just now. "Thanks for the ride. And this." She said, gesturing to her duffel bag.

"Have a good night, Mrs. Fields." Paige said politely, nodding her head a little towards Emily's mother.

"Goodnight. Drive safe." Pam reminded the girl.

"I will." Paige promised before leaving, closing the door behind her as she did so.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Pam asked after a moment of silence passed between them.

Emily gripped the strap of her duffel bag tightly before facing her mother. "Why would you ask me that?" She said in reply.

"Because when you realized that Paige was standing right behind you, you had this look." Pam explained, uncrossing her arms and resting one hand on the immaculate kitchen countertop. "Like you were a deer caught in headlights." She clarified. She studied her daughter closely. "Is Paige courting you?" She asked, concerned.

"No." Emily answered, dismayed when she saw her mother exhale a sigh of relief. "I just thought she might've overheard us arguing and I felt embarrassed. Nothing's going on." She continued, knowing those were the words her mother wanted to hear.

"Good." Pam said. "Because you know the people in this town and how rumors start. Being seen with Jasmine's best friend all the time isn't..."

"All the time? Mom this is just the second time that we came back to Rosewood together." Emily interjected. "I don't see how they could just assume that there's something going on based on that."

"Why wait for them to start speculating?" Pam said in reply. "With the rumors about her family floating around, it would be best if you spent less time with Paige."

"Mom we go to the same university and we almost have the same classes. How do you expect me to do that?" Emily asked, frustrated. "And you just made it perfectly clear to her that she's a good best friend to Jai for spending time with me. Why is it so wrong to be seen with her?"

"I'm not saying completely avoid her. Just lessen the amount of time being alone with her." Pam explained patiently. "Paige isn't a good fit for you anyway."

"Because of the rumors?" Emily guessed. "Since when do you let those things bother you?"

"It doesn't bother me. The people in this town can talk about her family for all I care. But if the rumors start to include you and our family, I have a problem with that." Pam admitted. "Emily, we all have a reputation to protect and the last thing I want is Paige's reputation tainting yours. I don't want the Hayes to hear about it. I don't want their name to be dragged into it. I don't want people to start talking about you negatively."

"And you think being seen with Olga won't?" Emily asked in disbelief. "It hasn't been a year since Jai died, mom. The people in this town will still think I'm replacing Jai too soon whatever I do. And honestly? Sometimes that's what I think too. That's why I don't want to be seen with anyone. I thought at least with Paige people would understand and think that we're just grieving together since we both love Jai." She admitted, for the first time hating living in this town. Just when she was starting to think that it wasn't that big of a deal to be seen with the girl, this happens.

"I'm not saying you should date Olga starting tonight. I'm just asking you to have dinner with someone who has the same qualities as Jasmine." Pam revealed. "I wouldn't ask you to meet her if I didn't think she's good for you."

Emily sighed. "Mom..."

"Go freshen up and meet us in the dining table." Pam said, touching her daughter's arm briefly. "We've left Olga by herself for too long. It's rude."

"Yeah. Okay. I'll be right there." Emily answered, conceding. She waited until her mom left the kitchen before she took out her phone from the front pocket of her jeans and hurriedly dialed the girl's number. "Come on. Paige, pick up. Please." Emily begged under her breath, biting her bottom lip anxiously. But her call just went to voicemail.


	20. sic infit : chapter x

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

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_**So I'm posting this chapter from Canada because the Wi-Fi on the plane sucked big time. Sorry for the über late post.**_

**_Thanks for the reviews!_**

**_sampledbeats, EyeOpener16 and Drives-me-crazy... Thanks for the PM._**

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**PART TWO: "Sic Infit"**

_~ So it begins. ~_

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**CHAPTER TEN**

_Three Years Ago..._

"So what do you think are the odds of Anne getting first pick and not choosing me for her team?" Jai asked as she and Paige sat beside each other on rubber mats on the gym floor during their PE class, their knees drawn to their chests.

Paige pursed her lips, pretending to think long and hard about her answer. "Hard to say. Anne getting first pick is same as the odds of me sleeping with Tia Martinez tonight." She answered, lifting her arms to fix her ponytail. "But in case that happens, the odds of her not choosing you for her team is still the same as the odds of me sleeping with Tia Martinez tonight." She repeated.

Jai's eyes widened. "No way. It's finally happening?" She asked, surprised.

Paige rolled her eyes. "_No_. You've completely missed the point of this conversation. I'm trying to tell you what the odds are of either scenario happening and it's slim to none." She pointed out, grinning. "You _always_ get chosen first, Jai. That's the burden that comes with being you."

Jai gave her best friend a short laugh. "Funny, Paige." She muttered before running a hand through her short hair wearily.

"Here's something that isn't." Paige said, leaning closer to whisper to her friend. "Did you know... that the name _Naomi_, when written backwards, spells 'I moan'? I figured that out last night while I was writing Naomi Turner's name in the bathroom mirror after I took a shower." She revealed proudly.

Jai pulled back and stared at her friend. "Paige, why the heck would you write some other girl's name in a bathroom mirror?" She asked, confused. "I thought you were trying to seal the deal with Tia? Is Naomi even gay?"

Paige shrugged. "I don't know. Just kinda had the urge to write her name so I did." She explained. "Fine. I was playing FLAMES on the bathroom mirror with several girls' names. Satisfied?" She finally confessed when she saw Jai's dubious look, making her friend laugh. "I was bored. And I'm tired of fooling around, Jai." Paige admitted. "I want to commit to someone again."

"And you think a game of FLAMES will tell you who you're supposed to be with." Jai concluded, looking at her friend. "Paige, you know your dad won't allow it."

"I know. But maybe we can see each other in secret. I don't mind. I just want to stop being with different girls." Paige confessed. "I need help. Bad."

"What you need is to find someone like Emily. She can handle your dad." Jai said confidently, staring at her girlfriend who was currently standing in the middle of the group with Anne to do a coin toss.

Paige made a face. "Thanks but no thanks. She's all yours. I don't want her anywhere near me." She said, shuddering.

"Like I'd give her up. Especially to someone who's done nothing but make her feel like crap." Jai shot back, looking at her friend. "I'm saying find a girl with Emily's qualities to bring home to your dad."

"A concrete post has more qualities than your girlfriend. Hell, even a traffic cone has more qualities than Sniffles. I'd rather take that home and introduce to my dad." Paige muttered.

"Suit yourself. But those things don't kiss back and don't get turned on. Think about that." Jai advised, tapping Paige's shoulder twice before getting up when she heard their instructor blow the whistle. "Put your game face on. We'll probably be on rival teams again."

Paige sighed before getting up as well. It was true. Other than Jai's girlfriend and Anne Samuels, she and Jai are the best dodgeball players in their class. Since Emily and Anne were chosen as team captains again this morning, she and Jai would automatically be on opposing teams with her being picked by Anne since the girl always loses in a coin toss.

"I think it's 2-0 with me on the lead." Jai said teasingly. "I'm aiming for 3-0 today."

"Ha! I'm aiming to close that gap. No 3-0 for you my friend." Paige promised before focusing her attention to the front of the class.

"I get first pick and I choose Jai." Anne said, much to Paige's surprise. _Well, well. This should be interesting_. Paige thought, keeping her expression neutral. _I guess my chances of sealing the deal with Tia tonight are 50-50 then._

Jai walked over to Anne and gave her girlfriend an apologetic look. Emily stared at her other classmates, thinking of her first pick. If she chose someone else, Anne would definitely pick Paige next and her team would surely lose if they were against those three girls.

"I pick Paige." Emily finally said reluctantly, immediately getting anxious when the girl slowly approached her with a smug grin.

"Aww. You look like you're about to cry, Sniffles. Someone steal your lunch money?" Paige asked with a pout, stopping in front of the girl. "I suppose you're expecting a thank you from me? _Captain_." She added, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"No need. It's not like I had a choice." Emily replied, studying her other classmates as Anne picked another person for her team. "The only reason I chose you is because Jai wasn't available but if she was I'd always pick her." She explained. "Daryl." Emily called out, choosing her next teammate.

"Like that's supposed to be news." Paige shot back. "Too bad a coin has two sides and you're stuck with me today. You can always trade me with another player though so I can play for Anne's team. I don't mind." She added, shrugging. "But... just keep in mind... I have good aim and a strong arm. I have no problem taking you out first." Paige said offhandedly. "I wonder how that would look to everyone, though. The captain of the team taken out so soon."

Emily glared at the girl before looking away. "Can I count on you?" She asked quietly.

"Not really. I'm not in the mood to play dodgeball today." Paige answered, looking around her with a bored expression. "I'm reserving my stamina for other after-school activities."

"Perfect. I can't believe I'm stuck with you." Emily muttered. She didn't want to trade Paige for another player knowing once the girl changed sides she won't hesitate to attack her.

"Oh like I'm looking forward to being on your team." Paige shot back. "I'd rather throw balls at you until you're on the ground whimpering so stop acting like a spoiled brat and deal with it." She snapped before walking past the girl.

* * *

_Present Day..._

Emily slowly led the way outside her house and waited until she and Olga were standing near the sidewalk before turning around to face the girl.

"I'm sorry." Emily began, lost for what to say next. "My mom. She..."

Olga shook her head. "It's fine. I had a good time tonight." She said reassuringly, smiling at the girl.

"I did too." Emily admitted. She really didn't expect the night to go well but Olga turned out to be really charming and a good conversationalist. The dinner wasn't the least bit awkward and the three of them ended up laughing and sharing stories like they've all known each other for years.

"But..." Olga urged, sensing there's a 'but' coming her way.

"But I'm still trying to get over my girlfriend of three years. She died not too long ago." Emily explained.

"The plane crash." Olga supplied. "Sorry. Your mom told me." She added apologetically when she saw Emily's surprised look.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. And things are complicated right now." She continued.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Olga asked, giving Emily a small smile.

Emily looked behind the girl and saw that her mom was trying hard not to look at them from the living room window. "Not really." She lied, returning her attention to Olga.

Olga studied Emily closely. "But there's a girl." She guessed.

Emily swallowed hard. "Like I said. It's complicated." She repeated.

"Is it serious? Or can you see other girls?" Olga asked, the smile on her lips returning.

"We're not exclusive. If that's what you meant." Emily answered.

"Then why can't you start seeing me? Who knows? Maybe you could end up liking me more." Olga suggested lightly.

Emily smiled faintly and took a deep breath. "The thing is... this girl. She drives me crazy." She began, placing her hands inside the pockets of her denim jacket.

One of the reasons why Emily had a good time during dinner tonight is because she felt comfortable talking to Olga. There was just something about the girl that made her feel at ease. And now, standing here, just the two of them, Emily just knew that Olga wasn't going to judge her. It was the first time that she had someone she can talk to freely about Paige since she started seeing the girl and it felt refreshing, not having to lie. So she decided to take it.

"Or at least she used to. And not in a good way. We never got along even if we've been in each other's lives for years." Emily continued. "It wasn't until recently that we started this thing between us. When I realized how attracted I am to her and I can't imagine not being near her. So you're probably right. Maybe I could like you more if I started seeing you as well. But right now I'm really crazy about her." She confessed.

"So why did your mom set you up?" Olga asked, confused.

"Because she doesn't know. No one knows." Emily admitted, glancing at her mom who was now busy reading the paper on the couch before looking at Olga again. "Like I said, it's complicated. So I don't want anyone to know. I'm still trying to figure things out with her. How to do this thing between us, what it really is. I just want to keep this thing to myself for now. Until I'm sure."

Olga nodded understandingly. "Is she the girl who drove you here?" She asked, gesturing to the house behind her. "You and your mom were in the kitchen and I got up to stretch my legs. I saw her alight from her car and head for the backyard so I figured you know her. Is that her? Don't worry. I'm not gonna tell anyone." She promised.

"Yeah. That's her." Emily answered. "Her name's Paige."

"I didn't see her that well but I can tell she's really gorgeous. I can see why you'd be crazy about her." Olga admitted, placing her hands inside the front pockets of her capri pants.

"She is. But there's more to her than her looks though." Emily said, smiling as her thoughts drifted to Paige. "She's really sweet and funny among other things. I could go on and on about her but I don't think you agreed to have dinner with me and my mom tonight just so you could hear me talk about another girl. Sorry." She added ruefully.

Olga laughed. "Yeah. I'd be lying if I said I'm not disappointed that you're seeing someone. Especially when my first thought when I saw you walk inside that room earlier tonight was _'Thank God I didn't cancel this time and I agreed to accompany my aunt to the hospital last week._'" She confessed. "I guess I'll just see you around then. Tell your mom I said goodnight." She said before walking past Emily to head to her car.

"Yeah. Goodnight." Emily repeated, watching the girl for a few seconds before taking out her phone to try calling Paige again.

Emily looked towards her house and contemplated coming over to Paige's house when the girl still won't answer her call. But it was late and she didn't want to disturb Paige in case the girl was already asleep. _I'll just visit her first thing tomorrow_. Emily decided before pocketing her phone and heading back inside her house.

* * *

Paige emerged from the shower on Saturday morning, her body wrapped in a powder blue bath towel as she stood just outside the bathroom door. She strained her ears to listen for any sound; sure that she heard the doorbell ring a few seconds ago. She headed for her dresser when she heard it again. Someone was really at the door and she didn't know if there's someone in the house with her to answer it.

Just in case, Paige hurriedly donned a pair of gray gym shorts and an apple green t-shirt before towel-drying her hair briskly and combing it, bolting out of her room when she heard the doorbell ring again. She took the steps two at a time and jogged towards the front door, pulling it open quickly.

"Hey." Emily said in greeting.

Paige stared at the girl for a second, trying to recover from her surprise. "Em. What are you doing here?" She asked, looking past the girl to see if anyone was outside. "I thought we agreed to see each other on Sunday?"

"I know. But I couldn't wait." Emily admitted. "Let me in." She said, taking a step forward.

"Wait." Paige uttered, holding Emily's arm. "Dad? Dad?" She called out, trying to see if her father was already back from California. "Okay, come in." She said, stepping aside when the house remained eerily silent.

Paige closed the door behind the girl and took Emily's hand, quickly leading the way upstairs to her bedroom. _I can't believe I'm taking Emily to my room_. She thought, hoping her palms weren't starting to sweat. The situation was entirely different from the time Emily came over so they could write that paper for their Film and Literature class.

"So I take it you're alone?" Emily asked once they were inside the girl's bedroom.

"_We're_ alone." Paige corrected, turning around to face Emily.

"I like the sound of that." Emily replied, taking in the girl's appearance. "You ran?"

Paige nodded. "Just got back a few minutes ago." She answered before studying Emily this time. "Where does your mom think you are?"

"Out running." Emily said, gesturing to her running attire.

"Running." Paige repeated, taking a step closer to the girl.

"What? This counts as a workout too." Emily argued, pulling Paige close to her and kissing the girl.

"This is crazy." Paige uttered when they came up for air.

"But good, right?" Emily asked, leaning forward and kissing Paige quickly.

"Yeah." Paige answered, capturing Emily's lips on hers again. "Really good." She said in-between kisses.

"Hey Paige?" Emily began, slightly pulling away so they could talk.

"Yeah?" Paige said, trying to focus on the girl and not on the girl's lips.

"About last night. Sorry if you overheard that." Emily continued.

"Overheard what?" Paige asked, not sure she wanted to have a conversation about last night right now. She didn't want to hear Emily say that she's going to start seeing another girl while they're here that's why she couldn't bring herself to answer any of the girl's calls.

"What me and my mom were talking about." Emily clarified. "I know you heard it."

"Oh that. It's fine." Paige said, waving her hand dismissively.

Emily sighed. "Will you ever stop saying 'it's fine' whenever I'm trying to apologize?" She asked, frowning.

"Will you ever stop apologizing for still being in love with Jai?" Paige said in reply.

Emily bit her bottom lip. "Paige..."

"Em, I know what I'm getting myself into." Paige insisted.

"But you'll tell me if you want to end things with me, right?" Emily asked hesitantly. "Paige?" She urged when the girl won't answer her.

"If you stop liking me then I'll end things." Paige promised. "How did things go with that dinner date anyway?" She asked, trying not to sound jealous. "Your mom must really like that girl if she set up the whole thing." She added, taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

"Okay first of all it wasn't a dinner date. Technically it's just dinner with another girl. I think I know when I'm on a date." Emily began, following the girl and standing in between Paige's legs. "And don't get jealous but I'm not gonna lie. It went better than I expected. I get why my mom likes her." She admitted, slowly wrapping her arms around the girl's neck. "Olga's a lot like Jai actually. Serious, ambitious. She has everything planned out and I have a feeling she's this overachiever."

"Like Jai." Paige continued, wrapping her arms around Emily's waist as she looked up at the girl.

"Yeah." Emily answered, meeting Paige's eyes.

Paige nodded. "That's why your mom set you up with her. She saw their similarities." She said quietly, trying to smile. "Your mom knows she's good for you. Like Jai was."

"Yeah but by the end of the night I made up my mind about her. That's the last time I'm going to see her." Emily confessed.

"Why?" Paige asked, trying not to sound hopeful.

"Well if you'd just taken one of my calls I would've told you last night that I like being with you right now." Emily answered, gently playing with one of Paige's earlobes.

Paige tightened her arms around the girl's slim waist. "I'd rather hear you say it now." She admitted.

"I like being with you." Emily repeated softly, staring into the girl's eyes.

Paige's lips slowly broke into a huge grin.

"Finally. A real smile." Emily said, leaning down to give Paige a kiss on the lips before intertwining their hands. She liked seeing Paige smile. "I know we agreed that I should spend time with my friends today. But I can do that tomorrow instead. Let's just spend the entire day together. Do a movie marathon or something." She suggested as she studied their hands.

"My dad's coming home any minute now." Paige confessed, looking up at Emily worriedly.

"We don't have to do anything. I just want to be near you." Emily admitted, focusing her gaze on Paige's face. "And who knows? When he isn't in the living room maybe we can steal a few kisses."

Paige laughed. "I was hoping you'd say that. I don't think I can take it. You sitting so close to me and not being able to kiss you." She said, her eyes drifting to the girl's soft lips.

"We'll figure something out later. But your dad isn't here yet and we have the house to ourselves so..." Emily trailed off, firmly pushing Paige backwards so the girl was lying on her bed. "We can still do this." She whispered as she landed on top of Paige, eagerly meeting the girl's lips with hers.

* * *

"How about a bottle of perfume?" Kayla suggested as she and Paige passed by a stand full of perfumes at the department store, smiling courteously at the sales lady behind the counter as they did so.

Paige shook her head, frowning. "I don't think Emily's into perfumes." She said, studying the perfume bottles that came in various sizes and shapes in the display case.

It was a Sunday afternoon and Kayla was surprised when Paige called her a few hours ago, asking if she would accompany the girl to the mall for a last-minute Christmas shopping. Kayla readily agreed and said she didn't have any plans, admitting that she was actually planning to do some shopping herself. She was really glad that Paige called. Her father spent most of his time at the hospital, either seeing patients or devoting all of his free time on the Gray Matter Foundation that Kayla ended up being alone in their house. She contemplated calling Paige several times to ask if they could hang out but decided against it in the end, thinking the girl and Emily were probably spending time together behind everyone's prying eyes and she didn't want to be the third wheel. Nor did she want to hear the girl lie to her. So she was really glad that Paige called her. Even though the reason was so she could help the girl find Emily a Christmas gift.

Kayla thought Paige already forgot about her. Something she realized she feared. That just like her dad, Emily and Paige would forget her now that they're seeing each other. They're going to forget about being part of her family. And she's going to be alone. That's why she didn't want to say anything to the two girls. About knowing their secret. Maybe if she pretended she didn't know, they wouldn't feel ill at ease spending time with her. Plus she wanted the two girls to tell her when they're ready.

"Jewelry?" Kayla suggested next when they passed by several glass cases displaying gold and silver bracelets and necklaces among other things. She was trying to ignore the fact that this wasn't normal behavior for Paige. Shopping for a Christmas gift for Emily when for years all the girl did was complain about the holiday season.

"I'm not really comfortable giving her jewelry." Paige admitted. "Besides. I don't think she's into shiny, flashy stuffs. I'm starting to think I won't be able to find anything in this place that I would want to give as a gift to Emily." She said, looking around the packed department store as they continued to peruse the various display cases.

"Don't worry. You'll find the perfect gift." Kayla promised. "Speaking of Emily. How long has she been eating and drinking inside your car?" She asked out of the blue, causing Paige to bump hard into the pointed end of a display case filled with cosmetics.

_Ow_. "What?" Paige asked, rubbing her right hipbone gingerly as she winced. _Great. Just when my wound's healed now I'm going to have a bruise_.

"Emily spilled that coffee in your car last Friday and you were so worried that she could've burned herself, you were close to taking off your shirt to use as a mop." Kayla pointed out matter-of-factly. "I was waiting for you to blow up at her but instead you were so busy trying to make sure you wiped the coffee off her that neither of you noticed I was already inside the car. How long?" She repeated.

"I don't know." Paige answered, trying to avoid having a discussion about her feelings for Emily.

"How many times?" Kayla asked instead.

"Just a couple. It's not like she's always in my car, Kayla." Paige said, hoping her voice sounded annoyed and not panicked.

"Does she know?" Kayla continued.

"What do you think?" Paige asked wryly.

"I think you know that you care more about her than she does about you." Kayla guessed. "And you're not gonna tell her since the two of you aren't even together. Right?" She added, giving Paige the opening to correct her and let her in on the secret. But the girl didn't take it.

Paige nodded. "Right. I don't even know how she feels about me. We're not on the same page but I don't mind. I know a part of Emily cares about me and that's enough for now." She said earnestly.

Kayla studied the girl out of the corner of her eye. She didn't know when the two girls started sneaking around but she's sure that when she saw them two weeks ago in Paige's apartment they weren't together because they were going to study. They were having dinner. Like most couples do.

"So you and Emily have been spending a lot of time together lately. Are you two…?" Kayla trailed off, trying to get the girl to tell her something.

"No." Paige answered, unable to meet Kayla's eyes. "No we're not. Can we please talk about something else?"

Paige really thought she wouldn't have a problem with it. Back when her feelings for Emily were unreciprocated she had no problem talking to Kayla about it. But now, even if she didn't want to lie to the girl, she realized she wasn't comfortable telling Jai's sister that she's seeing Jai's girlfriend. She can't even bring herself to go to the Hayes' this holiday season and share a meal with the two people who have considered her as one of their own for years.

Kayla nodded, accepting defeat for now. "So are you coming over to spend Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve with us this year?" She asked as they made their way around several racks filled with Sunday dresses. "I know it's not the same since Jai isn't around but..."

"My dad is going to be home this year so naturally I want to spend time with him." Paige interjected apologetically. "I don't know if I'll be able to make it." She added even if she already knew that she'd be spending the holiday season by herself.

"Oh. Okay. Well just know that you're always welcome in our house. Whatever happens." Kayla promised, knowing Paige was feeling guilty. "How about a Christmas card?" She suggested, trying to return their conversation to the girl's gift for Emily.

Paige frowned. "Yeah... no. I don't think that's something I want to give her as my first Christmas gift." She answered, walking past the rows of Christmas cards without looking at them.

* * *

_Four Years Ago..._

"Care to tell me again why we've been following Paige since she left school?" Spencer asked impatiently, looking at the girl standing next to her as they hid behind a wall that strongly smelled of disinfectant.

"I told you. I need her help. It's my first Christmas with Jai and I want to give my girlfriend the perfect gift. I figured if anyone knows her best it's Paige." Emily replied, craning her neck to see where Jai's best friend went.

The two girls were currently loitering around the halls of Rosewood General Hospital, neither having a solid excuse if anyone asked what they're doing there. In a few days, Emily and Jai would be celebrating Christmas morning together for the first time and they agreed to give each other their presents before joining Jai's family for breakfast that day. Emily had been racking her brain for days for a gift but she couldn't think of anything until finally, she decided to enlist the help of the one person who knows Jai best. Paige McCullers.

Emily had been building her courage to come up to the girl the entire day. When she realized that she couldn't do it by herself, she finally asked Spencer to come with her after school but before they could approach the girl, Jai's best friend mounted her bike and pedaled away. Emily didn't want to wait until tomorrow so when Jason came by the school a few minutes later to give Spencer a lift, she begged her friend's half-brother to follow Paige. Spencer eventually convinced Jason to help them and told her brother not to wait once they realized that they followed Paige all the way to the hospital. It was easy to catch a ride home since the bus stop is just across the street.

"Yeah but are you sure about this? You'd get better help asking someone working behind an information desk than trying to talk to her. It's like talking to this wall." Spencer said, pointing to the wall they were hiding behind. "Maybe you should ask Jai's sister instead."

Emily shook her head. "Kayla's still in Girard and I don't know her number. I can't ask Jai. She'll know." She pointed out. "Besides. It's the holiday season. Maybe Paige won't be in a foul mood." She added optimistically.

"Riiiiight." Spencer said, trying not to laugh. "Maybe she won't be in a foul mood and Santa is real."

Emily ignored Spencer's sarcasm and risked another glance down the hall. "What is she doing?" She asked when they saw Paige take a seat outside the daycare center.

"I don't know. Planning to kidnap a child?" Spencer suggested, loud enough that it made several heads turn in the waiting area across from where they were standing.

"Keep your voice down! You'll get her in trouble." Emily reprimanded her friend urgently. "She looks sad."

"What? Are you blind? She's _smiling_, Em." Spencer said, pointing to the girl without looking at Paige.

"I know but... she looks sad." Emily repeated, unable to explain to her friend why but she saw it in Paige's posture. "Uh-oh." She said, suddenly moving away from the wall and taking a step back.

"What?" Spencer asked, confused when she heard the panic in Emily's voice.

"We should go. I think she saw us." Emily explained, turning around to head back the way they came.

"But I thought the reason we followed her here is so you could ask for her help?" Spencer reminded her friend as she struggled to catch up to the girl.

"Yeah but she looked pissed. I don't think she's in the mood to help." Emily admitted as she exited the hospital.

"When is she ever not pissed? I told you this was a bad idea." Spencer said, finally catching up to Emily.

"Hey you two!" Emily cringed when she heard Paige's angry voice behind her. Apparently the girl can run. She and Spencer slowly turned around.

"What are you two doing here?" Paige asked as she closed the distance between them. Good thing her appointment wasn't until six or the two girls would've seen why she's actually there. "You've been following me around the whole day. What's up with that, Sniffles?" She continued, giving Emily a withering glare.

"We're not interested in your after-school activities if that's what you're accusing us of." Spencer answered defensively, stepping forward like she can somehow protect her friend from Paige's anger.

"Sorry." Emily said, finally speaking up. "I'm not following you because I'm trying to invade your privacy or anything." She explained gently. She knew her girlfriend's best friend hated her for some reason but she's trying to get on the girl's good side for Jai's sake. "I actually need your help. You've been Jai's best friend for years so I was hoping you could help me find a gift for her this Christmas."

"Why would I do that?" Paige retorted. "Aren't you two dating? You're her _perfect girlfriend_." She emphasized. "You're supposed to know these things."

"But I don't. That's why I'm asking for your help. Jai and I have been together for a few months. You've known her longer." Emily reminded the girl. "I'm still getting to know her."

"Jai already has everything money can buy. You want to give her a gift? Don't look for it in the mall. It isn't something material." Paige said, barely able to keep the annoyance out of her voice. "But I don't really expect someone like you to understand." She added, staring at the girl disdainfully.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emily asked, hurt.

"It means you're having a hard time thinking of a gift because you're materialistic and superficial so you wouldn't know the first thing about giving gifts that come from the heart." Paige spat out.

"Hey!" Spencer exclaimed, glaring at the girl.

"Thanks for the help." Emily said quietly, feeling her cheeks redden in embarrassment. Apparently Jai's best friend really thinks the worst of her. She gave the girl one last look before heading for the bus stop.

"What's your problem?" Spencer asked, giving Paige a confused look. "Why do you hate my friend so much? You're saying all these hurtful things every chance you get when you don't even know her."

"Don't need to. Not interested." Paige said offhandedly.

"Then just ignore her. Stop treating her like crap everytime she tries to be friends with you. She just wants to get along with you for Jai's sake but you're not even willing to try." Spencer said, her heart going out to her friend. She can't believe Emily has to put up with this girl's attitude just to be with the girl she loves. "You can't even be bothered to be civil around my friend and you have the nerve to call yourself Jai's best friend? Here's a thought. While we're on the subject of giving gifts that come from the heart, I suggest you grow one this year. God knows that's the best gift you could give to Jai." She muttered, shaking her head before walking away to follow Emily.

* * *

_Present Day..._

Emily carefully scanned the display cases in the department store, trying to find something she could give Paige for their first Christmas together. She and her friends have been strolling around the mall for hours doing some last-minute holiday shopping like the rest of the Rosewood population and she already bought her gifts for Logan, Kayla, her friends and her mom but she can't think of something to give Paige.

"Are you guys done?" Aria asked, turning around to face her friends.

"I am." Spencer answered from beside Aria, gesturing to the shopping bags she was carrying in both hands.

"Almost." Hanna replied from beside Emily. "I can't think of a gift for Caleb." She confessed, referring to the guy she started seeing back in New York. "He wants me to give him something that's inherent in Rosewood but I'm drawing a blank. It's frustrating. Help me?"

Emily chose not to join the conversation and looked around the crowded store instead, her pulse racing when she suddenly saw Paige walking around with Kayla. She followed the two girls' progress across the store and frowned when she saw Paige bump her hip on a display case. _That's going to hurt later. She's so awkward sometimes but it's cute_. Emily thought, biting her bottom lip to keep from grinning.

"What about you, Em?" Aria asked when she realized that her friend didn't reply. "Are you done shopping?"

"I'm one gift short." Emily admitted, for a brief second averting her eyes from Paige to look around the store before returning her gaze to the girl again.

Emily saw Kayla point Paige to several rows of Christmas cards but the girl just walked past them without so much as a glance. They didn't really talk about getting each other gifts but she wanted to give the girl one. She finally looked somewhere else when she lost the two girls in the crowd and her eyes landed on a display for several running equipment. _I could buy her something that's related to running_. She thought, biting her bottom lip hesitantly.

_It means you're having a hard time thinking of a gift because you're materialistic and superficial so you wouldn't know the first thing about giving gifts that come from the heart._

It wasn't too long ago that Paige said those words to her with such disdain and to Emily, those words really cut deep. _I probably shouldn't give her a Christmas present of something she already has_. She thought, running a hand through her hair wearily. She didn't want Paige to think she was shallow.

"Actually, I just realized I'm done as well." Emily said, looking at her friends. "Let's help Hanna find a present for Caleb so we can go home." She suggested, walking past Aria and Spencer to lead the way this time. She won't be able to find a gift for Paige in this place. But other than running, she didn't really know anything about the girl.

* * *

_Four Years Ago..._

"Have fun tonight." Jai said, placing an arm around Emily's waist as they exited the school building.

"I wish you could spend the night here with me." Emily admitted, looking at Jai wistfully. They haven't even parted ways and she was already missing her girlfriend.

"I know. But as much as I would love to stay, I kinda need to have a mom for me to participate tonight." Jai pointed out, their eyes drifting to the tarpaulin above them that was hanging outside the school building.

"Sorry." Emily uttered, feeling guilty for bringing up the subject.

Jai shook her head. "It's okay." She said, moving to hug her girlfriend. "My mom's been dead for six years. That's a lot of mom-related school stuff that I missed out on growing up. I'm used to it." She promised before pulling away. "I want to know how your night went so tell me all about it tomorrow." Jai added as she checked her watch for the time. "I have to go. I promised my dad I'll have dinner with him and some of his colleagues from the hospital so he's waiting for me." She explained, looking at her girlfriend apologetically.

"Okay. Take care." Emily said, leaning forward to give Jai a quick kiss on the lips.

Emily watched her girlfriend descend the steps and make her way to the well-lit parking lot before turning around to head inside. She pulled the door open and entered the building, taking a few steps before stopping in her tracks when she saw Paige round a corner, blindly heading towards her since the girl was busy rummaging inside her messenger bag for something.

"Are you leaving?" Emily asked lightly as her way of greeting Jai's best friend when Paige was near her.

Paige stopped searching her bag for her phone and looked up when she heard Emily's voice. "Yeah. What's it to you?" She asked, her temper immediately flaring at the sight of the girl.

"Nothing. I just... it's the annual mother-daughter sleepover." Emily reminded the girl. "Aren't you and your mom participating?"

"Nope." Paige answered curtly, returning her attention inside her bag as she searched for her phone again.

"Why not?" Emily asked, confused.

"Just not in the mood for a night of lame, touchy-feely stuff." Paige replied offhandedly. "Activities like this make my skin crawl."

Emily studied the girl. She heard the rumors surrounding Paige's family. But she figured Paige still saw her mom occasionally. "But your mom knows about this school activity, right?" She asked cautiously.

Paige finally gave up trying to look for her phone and looked at Emily again. "I don't want your pity, _Sniffles_." She said resentfully when she saw the girl's eyes. "It's not like I'm missing out on anything exciting. Of course she knows. And she's okay with me not participating. She doesn't want to go to these things because like me, she thinks it's lame and for spoiled kids like you who need to be coddled constantly." She spat out. "Now if you're done being nosy about my life, I have to go. So move."

Emily wordlessly stepped aside before Paige could shove her out of the way. She followed the girl's retreating back, torn between following to make sure Paige was okay or just forgetting what happened. She finally chose to do the latter and headed for the function room where the activity was being held.

It really shouldn't bother her since she was slowly getting used to Paige's condescension towards her. But tonight it did. Because even though Paige was angry the entire time they were talking, Emily never heard the anger. She heard the pain.

* * *

_Present Day..._

Emily looked around the spacious living room as she sat on Paige's couch on Monday afternoon, waiting for the girl to return from the kitchen. They have been hanging out for a couple of hours now, just watching a movie and stealing a few chaste kisses every now and then. They couldn't engage in a full-on make out session even if they wanted to since someone could arrive and see them.

Paige said her father was at work and Gwen went out to run some errands and buy some things from the grocery so when Emily got the text from Paige saying she has the house to herself for a few hours, Emily immediately decided to come over, making up some lie to her mom about meeting her friends to see a movie on her way out.

Emily stood up when her gaze landed on the vestibule near the front door and she walked over to it to study the framed photos again, trying to find any indication of Paige's mom's presence in the girl's life growing up. But like the first time that she saw these photos, she still couldn't find any now.

"So the pizza will be here in twenty minutes." Paige said as she entered the room and returned the cordless phone on its cradle.

Emily turned around and walked over to the girl. "Sorry. I just wanted to see those photos again." She explained, gesturing behind her. "I had no idea you were so cute when you were a kid." She added as she sat back down on the couch.

"Hey I'm still cute now!" Paige protested.

Emily smiled. "You have your moments. But most of the time you're just really gorgeous." She said, making the girl blush.

"Nice save." Paige replied, walking over to sit next to Emily. She leaned forward to grab the remote from the coffee table and pressed play to resume watching the film before leaning against the couch's backrest.

Emily studied the girl out of the corner of her eye, contemplating whether she should ask her question. "Paige..." She began.

"Yeah?" Paige answered, looking at the girl.

"You can tell me if it's too personal but... where's your mom?" Emily asked gently.

Paige's posture became rigid for a second and she glanced at the photos on the vestibule. "Oh. Um. Well you and everyone else know that she left. When I was ten." She added, looking at Emily. "She didn't exactly make a big secret of it. She left my dad out on the street in the light of day for everyone to see."

"But you still see her, right?" Emily continued, inclining her head to the side.

"You mean, like, do I visit her from time to time?" Paige asked hoarsely.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. I mean, most kids do that when their parents divorce. Live with one parent for a few months then with the other one for a few months." She explained.

"No. I don't visit her." Paige answered. "I'm not like most kids. Ever since my mom left it's just been me and my dad and I'm okay with that. The one who stays is the one who cares. Or something that sounds wiser than that." She said, shrugging. "And I don't really know where she is." Paige revealed, her voice hoarse. "So even if I want to see her..."

"Do you miss her?" Emily asked softly.

Paige bit her bottom lip, thinking of her answer. "Sometimes." She finally said. "A lot when I was a kid and I see all these other kids with their moms. But now not so much. Like I said, my dad's enough. I'm not mad at my mom or anything." She added hurriedly. "I get why she left. Although sometimes it still hurts. But then I see my dad and how much he loves me and that's all that matters really."

"So what do you miss most about her?" Emily asked, slowly trying to get the girl to open up to her.

"A lot of things. Like out-of-town road trips… birthday breakfasts… bedtime stories… going to carnivals. White Christmases." Paige added, smiling a little.

"White Christmases?" Emily repeated.

Paige nodded. "It's this thing my mom does every year during the holiday season. My dad isn't into decorating as you can see." She said, gesturing around them.

Emily looked around and noticed for the first time the lack of holiday decorations around the house.

"So my mom does all the work around here. She's like Mrs. Santa." Paige revealed, smiling faintly at the memory.

"Is it too personal if I ask why she left?" Emily asked cautiously.

"Kinda. I'm just not ready to tell you why. I hope you understand." Paige answered quietly.

"I do. Of course." Emily said, reaching for Paige's hand and squeezing it lightly. "Sorry if I made you sad."

Paige shook her head. "It's okay. I just haven't talked about my childhood to someone in a while." She explained. "So can we go back to watching the movie until the pizza arrives?" She suggested in an effort to lighten the mood.

Emily smiled. "Yeah. Sounds good to me." She said in agreement before facing forward to resume watching the film.

Paige studied Emily out of the corner of her eye. When they were in public they couldn't act on their feelings but they were alone right now. No dad, No Gwen. Just them. And although the notion of being alone was enough to initiate a hot and heavy make out session between them, they both knew that they couldn't risk going to her bedroom since her dad or Gwen might come home anytime soon so they had to stay in the living room and kiss like they were in grade school.

But Paige wanted to do something different right now. Just once she wanted to feel what it was like to put her arm around Emily's shoulders like she's her girlfriend but she didn't know how Emily would react. Paige swallowed hard. _You won't know unless you try_.

At the moment, Emily was busy reading a message she just got on her phone and she removed her hand on top of Paige's to compose a reply using both of her hands. _It's your chance_. Paige mentally urged herself. She took a deep breath and moved her body a little closer to the girl. She then raised her arms, pretending to yawn and stretch and then slowly lowered her left arm behind the girl. She scooted a little closer before lowering her arm on Emily's left shoulder, resting her hand lightly on top of it.

Paige waited for the girl to move away and felt her heart hammer when even without looking up from her phone, Emily instinctively moved closer to her instead, the girl leaning her head on her shoulder as she continued typing a reply. Paige turned her head slightly to look at the girl seated next to her and her lips ended up brushing the top of Emily's head. She inhaled the scent of Emily's hair and smiled, moving to kiss the girl's head softly before turning her attention to the TV again. She could definitely get used to this.

* * *

Two hours later, Emily exited Paige's house through the rear door which led to the girl's backyard. She didn't want to leave just yet but her talk with Paige just gave her an idea for her perfect first Christmas gift to the girl. She headed for the side of the house, hoping no one would see her once she emerged but stopped short when she saw a familiar-looking red Ford Fusion pull up on the driveway. She debated whether or not to go back the way she came but in the end decided to step outside. There are a lot of reasons why she's leaving through the back anyway. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that it wasn't Paige's dad but Gwen when she saw the woman alight from inside the car.

"Hey, Gwen." Emily said in greeting as she approached the woman.

Gwen looked up once she opened the trunk and smiled at the girl warmly. "Emily. Are you here to see Paige?" She asked.

Emily shook her head. "I was just inside the house actually." She replied, leaning her hip against the car.

"Oh. You're leaving already?" Gwen said, a little disappointed.

"I wanted to stay but I'm doing a last, last-minute Christmas shopping." Emily explained. She contemplated her next words, whether to ask her question or just leave. But her curiosity got the better of her. "Um. I don't mean anything bad by this but this car... is it yours? I'm sorry. That's a really weird question." She said hurriedly, now feeling embarrassed that she might have insulted the woman.

Gwen smiled. "No it's okay. It's mine but Paige won it for me in that hands-on-a-hybrid contest at the mall last year." She revealed.

"That's why I thought it looked familiar." Emily commented, smiling as well. "I joined that contest too. I had my hand on this car for hours." She said, touching the surface of the car briefly.

"To be honest, I really didn't think Paige was serious about winning a car for me." Gwen revealed. "I thought she would lose interest in it eventually so I just let her go on and on about how she planned on winning this. But then Paige promised me before she left that morning. She said, '_Gwen, when I get back tonight you'd have a car of your own so you won't have to commute all the time_.'" Gwen recounted. "You should've seen her face when she said those words to me. She was so earnest and determined."

"I really thought she wanted to win this car for herself." Emily admitted. "I mean, I joined the contest because I wanted to have my own car. I guess it's a good thing she won if she did it for you."

Gwen smiled. "I live in the city and most of the time, the commute to and from here is just awful. I barely have time for my own kids when I get home. Paige saw that and decided to join the contest for me." She explained.

"That's... amazing." Emily said, staring at the car. _She's amazing_.

"Your secret's safe with me by the way." Gwen suddenly said, her eyes drifting to Emily's clothes.

"What?" Emily asked, getting nervous.

Gwen moved to fix the scarf the girl was wearing around her neck when she saw the love bite. "You and Paige?" She continued, smiling at the girl understandingly.

Emily swallowed hard. "Oh we..."

Gwen shook her head. "You don't have to lie. Not to me. I want to see that girl happy so I'm not going to tell anyone and I'm not going to spread the word." She promised. "I know why you two are hiding and how hard it must be in a place like this. I just wanted you to know that you have one less person to worry about."

Emily let out a sigh of relief, torn between crying and giving the woman a big hug. "Thank you." She said, smiling gratefully. "Actually it's perfect timing. I kinda need help with something. It's a surprise. Can I count on you?"

"For Paige?" Gwen asked. "Absolutely." She answered when Emily nodded. "Tell me what you have in mind."

"Okay." Emily said, leaning closer to the woman. "Here's the thing..."

* * *

_One Year Ago..._

Paige stood on the tip of her toes as she reached for the mistletoe hanging above the doorway of the front entrance to the Brew, ignoring the disapproving looks people were giving her. She didn't care if they thought she was crazy. She was on a mission this holiday season.

"You're hogging all the mistletoes." Paige turned around when she saw Emily standing behind her, about to enter the café to start her shift.

"Is this some devious plan of yours to get girls to kiss you?" Emily asked, walking past Paige to head inside.

Paige moved to follow the girl. "What? No. This is a plan to make sure girls don't kiss _you_." She emphasized.

Emily rolled her eyes. "They can try. Doesn't mean I'm gonna let them." She reminded the girl as she went behind the counter and donned her apron before tying her hair into a ponytail.

"If any of them manages to sneak up on you, you won't get the chance to push them away before they land a wet one on you. This way they don't get to kiss you at all." Paige said confidently.

Emily sighed. "Paige, I know you have good intentions. You're just looking out for Jai. But this is overkill." She pointed out, managing to wrestle one of the mistletoes the girl was gripping and placing it under the counter so she could hang it back on the doorway later. "You need to tone it down. No one is cheating. I know you have trust issues..."

"I don't." Paige interjected indignantly.

"But I'm not going to hurt Jai." Emily finished, ignoring Paige's comment as she grabbed a tray to bus some tables.

"I don't have trust issues." Paige repeated, moving to follow Emily again.

Emily exited the café to clean a table when she saw two customers leave. "Then will you _please_ stop taking down all the mistletoes around Rosewood? You're like the Grinch." She commented, placing the used cups, plates and utensils on the tray before wiping the surface of the table with a dishrag.

"I have Christmas spirit!" Paige exclaimed, offended.

Emily walked past Paige to get back inside the café. "Yeah. You're like the Grinch's incarnate." She shot back. "Paige, Jai is the only girl I plan on kissing underneath the mistletoe." She promised as she stopped to face Paige with one foot inside the café.

The two girls looked up at the same time and saw a new mistletoe hanging on the door frame for some reason. Without hesitating, Emily reached for it and gladly handed the plant to Paige before walking back inside.

"Point taken!" Paige called out after Emily before turning around to leave, ignoring Emily's friends who were trying but failing miserably to stifle their laughter as she walked past them knowing they were the ones who kept hanging those things everywhere.

* * *

_Present Day..._

Emily turned off the faucet and wrung her hands on the sink as she stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror of the Brew. She then reached for several paper towels in the dispenser and dried her hands, throwing the used rough, brown tissues in the trashcan before leaning closer to the mirror to study her appearance. She was wearing a colorful scarf around her neck although the hickey Paige gave her yesterday was hidden with a concealer, just to be sure that her friends won't see it.

The four girls have been sitting outside the café for a few hours now, wiling the time until they had to return home to celebrate Christmas Eve with their families. Emily had been busy the entire morning, locked inside her room as she finished her present for Paige. She was just done cleaning up the mess she made when Hanna called to ask her to have coffee with them and she readily agreed, thinking she had to find a way to keep her mind occupied or she wouldn't be able to stop obsessing about her present. Her gaze suddenly shifted from her reflection when she heard the door to the bathroom open behind her and she smiled when she saw from the mirror the identity of the person who just came in.

Paige let the bathroom door swing close and walked a few steps inside, her eyes never leaving Emily's. She sauntered to the stalls one by one and casually pushed the doors open, trying to make sure that they were alone before she actually talked to Emily.

"I saw your friends having coffee outside and guessed you were with them." Paige explained as she walked over to Emily when she was sure that they were alone.

"Good call." Emily said, her pulse beginning to race at the mere sight of the girl. "What do you have behind your back?" She asked, looking at Paige suspiciously.

Paige moved her hand to show Emily the mistletoe she was holding. "I've been carrying this around town in the off chance that I run into you." She admitted, raising her arm above them so they were technically standing underneath it.

"Paige, you don't need a mistletoe to make me kiss you." Emily said, reaching for the girl's arm with her left hand to lower it while wrapping her right arm around the girl's neck before leaning forward, depositing a quick kiss on Paige's lips.

"I was hoping for more than a peck." Paige admitted.

Emily smiled. "I seem to remember you telling me that making out in public bathrooms is unsanitary." She reminded the girl.

"It is. But I am willing to make an exception in the spirit of Christmas." Paige answered before lifting a hand to remove a shining speck on the girl's cheek. "Have you been rolling around glitters or something?" She asked, giving Emily a teasing smile when she saw that it was a silver glitter.

"Maybe." Emily answered vaguely. "So what are your plans tonight?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Spending Christmas Eve alone. Well not alone." Paige corrected. "Gwen is spending Christmas Eve with me then going home to her family so she can spend Christmas Day with them. Told you my dad would end up being called for work." She added wryly.

"You're really not going to the Hayes'? But I thought you spend Christmas Eve with Jai's family?" Emily asked, trying not to sound panicked. Now she had to change her plans for the night. Good thing she had Gwen's number.

"I used to. But I'm not really comfortable going there and sharing a meal with the family of my best friend while thinking about her girlfriend the entire time." Paige admitted.

"So I guess I'm not the only one feeling guilty." Emily said wryly. "I should probably go. My friends might be wondering what's taking me so long here."

Paige nodded and stepped back a little. "Will I see you tonight?" She asked hopefully.

Emily shook her head. "Probably not. I don't want to leave my mom alone on Christmas Eve." She said apologetically.

"Hey. Don't feel guilty. I completely understand." Paige promised, touching the girl's cheek softly. "We'll just see each other on Christmas morning."

Emily smiled. "Okay." She agreed, moving to kiss Paige on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow morning then." She said before exiting the bathroom. She walked a few steps and took out her phone to dial Gwen's number once she was outside. "Hey. It's Emily." She said in greeting once the woman picked up. She looked behind her to make sure Paige was still inside the bathroom before slowly making her way back to her friends. "Slight change in plans. I know we agreed that I'll come over early but Paige said she's not leaving the house. You might have to let me in when she's asleep…"

* * *

_Eleven Years Ago…_

"Barbies?" Olivia McCullers asked, turning around from the passenger seat of the car with a smile to look at her seven-year-old daughter.

Paige made a face. "Eew. _No_. I don't like Barbies, mom." She answered, shaking her head so hard that her soft, long, brown hair swayed from side to side. "But it's _really_ close."

"Oh, I think I know this one." Nick chimed in from the driver's seat of the car. "Did you ask Santa for… candies?" He guessed, meeting his daughter's twinkling brown eyes in the rearview mirror.

The family was currently on their way home back from the mall on Christmas Eve and Nick and Olivia have been trying to guess the entire drive what their daughter asked Santa this year. They knew what the girl wanted. It's been the same wish ever since Paige was four. But every year they pretend not to know, wanting to hear their daughter tell them again and again what she wanted more than anything in the world. It made them feel accomplished as parents. To have raised a child that didn't want material things despite growing up in luxury.

"Candies?" Paige repeated, her eyes widening in horror. "I can buy truckloads of that with my Christmas money from Uncle Tom. _No_. I didn't ask Santa for candies. But you're getting _really_ close too." She said, starting to get excited.

"Well I'm drawing a blank." Olivia said, pretending to concede. "Nick?" She asked, looking at her husband.

Nick nodded his head solemnly. "Me too. I really don't know what else our daughter could want." He said as he pulled up in front of their house. "We give her everything she asks for."

"Not everything." Paige corrected, pouting. "I want a baby brother."

Nick and Olivia shared a look and smiled when they finally heard Paige's yearly wish. "Let's get inside." Olivia said, unbuckling her seatbelt and alighting from the car. She headed for the backseat door and waited for Paige to get out of the car before crouching to hug her daughter. "You're growing up so fast. Soon I won't be able to call you my baby anymore."

"That's why you and dad need to spend more time together." Paige insisted, hugging her mom tight.

"Tonight?" Olivia asked, pulling back to look at her daughter. "But I have a surprise for you."

"Okay. Tomorrow then." Paige said, changing her mind and smiling. "What's the surprise?"

"Close your eyes first." Olivia instructed before standing up and taking Paige's hand. "No peeking." She said as she led the way to their house.

"I'm not." Paige answered, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Okay." Paige heard her mom say once she heard the front door open.

"You can open your eyes now." Olivia whispered near Paige's ear and the girl did as she was told.

"Wow." Paige breathed when she saw the inside of their house. Everything was white and sparkling like it snowed. "But it's not Christmas morning yet." She said, looking at her mom in confusion. Her mother usually transforms their house into a winter wonderland when she's asleep.

"I know. But I wanted to give you your White Christmas early this year." Olivia answered, kissing her daughter on the head. "I know how badly you want your wish to come true. I promise we are trying to give you what you ask from Santa every year. So don't stop wishing for it."

Paige nodded. "I won't." She promised earnestly. She kissed her mom on the cheek and ran inside the living room, heading for her dad when she saw him looking at the gifts under the white Christmas tree. Paige sat on her father's lap and reached for one gift, shaking it hard to guess what's inside before grinning when her dad moved to give her a hug.

* * *

_Present Day…_

Paige slowly opened her eyes on Christmas Day and felt her eyes widen in amazement. For a second she thought she was dreaming. Like she was seven years old and her life was almost perfect. She studied her ceiling, mesmerized by the silver Christmas balls and big snowflake cutouts covered in silver and blue glitters that seemed to be suspended in midair if she didn't take a closer look and saw the transparent nylon cord that was supporting it.

That's how she knew that she wasn't seven now. When she was a kid she would've thought everything was magical when she saw these things floating in midair. So why did she wake up to this?

"What..." Paige whispered, slowly getting up to look around her bedroom.

It still felt like a dream. But once the first rays of the sun entered her room, the place transformed and everything became magical again. Everything was white and sparkling like it snowed because of the glitters. Her bedroom windows were filled with snowflake cutouts; a small, white, plastic Christmas tree was sitting on her bedside table; a snowman made from various sizes of Styrofoam balls garbed with a scarf and a top hat was standing in the middle of her room smiling at her; and her floor and windowsill were littered with... snow?

Paige moved and leaned over the edge of her bed to touch it. It's fake. But it looked so real. She smiled and looked around her room again and when her eyes drifted to the girl curled up and sleeping soundly on the couch in the corner of her room, she felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest.

Now she understood. This was Emily's Christmas gift to her. The girl's own version of her mom's White Christmas. But it was better. And amazing. And her waking up to see Emily sleeping in the corner made everything perfect.

Paige slowly opened the drawer on her bedside table and took out a medium-sized black box with a red bow on top. Her gift to Emily wasn't this great and she knew she couldn't give the girl something that would make people ask questions about where she got it or who gave it to her. So she opted for something simple.

Getting up, Paige grabbed her comforter when she noticed that Emily was sleeping without one and made her way towards the girl. She wrapped the material around the sleeping girl and smiled when she saw Emily stir.

"Hey." Paige whispered, crouching in front of the girl whose eyes were still closed. She kissed Emily's forehead gently and smiled when the girl finally opened her eyes.

"Hey." Emily repeated before slowly getting up. "What time is it?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Five." Paige said, immediately leaning forward and kissing the girl, unable to hold back her happiness. "Thanks for my winter wonderland." She added before taking a seat next to Emily.

"Did you like it?" Emily asked, looking around the room.

"I love it." Paige answered. "How did you do all of this? When?" She asked, surprised.

"I had help. From Gwen." Emily admitted. "She knows about us but she promised not to say anything to anyone." She added when she saw Paige frown. "I made all of the decorations in my room then last night I came over when she said you've finally fallen asleep. I snuck out of my house and she let me in. I was afraid you were going to wake up and see me but apparently you're a heavy sleeper so I was able to do all of this."

Paige shook her head, looking at Emily with awe. She wanted to say those three words to the girl. But instead she just leaned forward and kissed Emily again. "Now it's my turn." She said when their lips finally broke contact, handing the box to Emily.

"Paige, you didn't have to give me anything." Emily said, staring at the gift.

"I know. But it's our first Christmas together. I want to." Paige insisted. "Go ahead. Open it." She urged despite being nervous.

Emily took the box and slowly untied the bow, wondering what the girl got her. She creased her brows in confusion when she saw a piece of paper but didn't ask what it was when she saw Paige's smile. She took out the paper and unfolded it, her eyes widening when she saw what she was holding in her hand. "Paige..."

"I know you don't want anyone to know about us. And I thought anything material I give you; you'd have to explain if people see." Paige began softly. "I know it's not the most romantic gift. But you talked about missing him so much; I figured this could help lessen that feeling a bit. Make you feel better that even if you don't see him all the time, he's just somewhere up above, watching over you."

"You named a star after my dad." Emily uttered, her voice hoarse as she stared at the name on the star certificate. "This is romantic." She said, looking at Paige and hugging the girl. "Thank you."

"And you don't even have to explain how that happened. You could just say that it was your idea." Paige pointed out.

"Stop talking." Emily whispered, feeling like she was going to explode from happiness as she moved to capture Paige's lips on hers.

* * *

_One Year Ago..._

"So who did you kiss on New Year's Eve?" Emily asked as she and Paige made their way to swim practice.

"Not. Gonna. Tell. You." Paige answered, pushing the door to the locker room and entering it with Emily close behind.

It was their first week back from the Christmas break and for lack of a better topic of conversation; they decided to ask what the other did during the break since the two of them didn't see each other at all. Emily hung out with her friends and visited a few relatives, unable to talk to Jai as often as she would like since the girl was swamped with her internship in London. While Paige spent most of her time training and continuing Jai's charity works around town and outside of it.

"Tia?" Emily guessed, not letting the subject matter drop.

"No." Paige said, heading for her locker.

"Dominique?" Emily continued as she headed for hers.

"No. Drop it." Paige demanded. "I'm not gonna kiss and tell. Stop asking how I spent my New Year's Eve. I'm not asking you who _you_ kissed." She pointed out.

"My mom." Emily quickly replied.

"Seriously?" Paige asked, surprised.

Emily shrugged. "Hey, no one said it should be a romantic kiss." She reminded the girl. "So who did you kiss?" She repeated.

"Carla." Paige finally admitted.

"What?!" Emily exclaimed. "Carla the girl who tried to hit on me then hit on you? _That_ Carla?!"

"What?" Paige uttered slowly. "She was passing by and I ran into her. She invited me to her friend's New Year's Eve party outside of town and since I had no plans, I decided to indulge her." She explained.

"And landed a wet one on her when the clock struck midnight." Emily finished.

"Hey, _she_ landed a wet one on _me_. I did my part by standing there when midnight struck. I'm not seeing anyone, she's not seeing anyone. I think." Paige added, frowning. "Nothing's wrong with that." She pointed out.

"I can't believe you still haven't contracted Mono. It's like you're immune to it or something." Emily muttered before heading for the shower room.

"Whatever! You're just jealous because I got to kiss someone who isn't my mom!" Paige called out smugly.

* * *

_Present Day..._

"So. I guess I still haven't told you that my mom practically ordered me to stay away from you. Not totally away. Just... spend less time being alone with you." Emily explained as she and Paige walked home from Rosewood General Hospital on the afternoon of New Year's Eve.

"And yet here we are." Paige said, smiling wryly.

Once Christmas was over, the two girls realized that they could only avoid the Hayes for so long. They each got a call from Logan the next day, asking if they could volunteer a few hours of their time everyday to help out with the preparations at the hospital for the Gray Matter Foundation's New Year's Eve fundraising event, an all-age rooftop party with a kissathon once the clock struck twelve. The pair with the longest kiss will win an all-expense paid cruise for Valentine's Day and a lot of people paid to join the affair. Logan told them that the proceeds will go to the research for treating brain injuries and despite feeling guilty, Emily and Paige agreed to volunteer out of genuine desire to help continue Jai's vision.

"Let me guess. It's because of the whole me being Jai's best friend and you being her girlfriend and how everyone is probably talking about us as we speak." Paige continued.

Emily nodded. It wasn't the only reason but she didn't want Paige to know the rest. "I didn't think it'd be such a big deal. I mean I knew it was. That's why I wanted to keep things between us a secret in the first place. I just didn't think that seeing us together people would immediately speculate it. We're not even together all the time." She added, shaking her head wryly.

"That's Rosewood for you." Paige commented, smiling faintly.

"Good thing we decided not to attend the party at the hospital tonight." Emily said, glancing at Paige.

"Yeah. I don't think I want to hear the countdown to midnight and see you kiss someone else when it reaches zero. I want to be your New Year's Eve kiss." Paige admitted.

"I want to be your New Year's Eve kiss too." Emily answered.

"Maybe we can find a way to ring in the New Year together without anyone seeing us." Paige said, trying to sound optimistic.

"Crazier things _have_ happened." Emily added, smiling at the girl.

"Paige." The two girls stopped in their tracks, waiting for the person who called out to one of them to approach.

"Um." Paige uttered when she finally saw who it was.

"Carla. Remember?" Carla said as she stopped in front of the two girls.

"Yeah. I do. I remember. I'm sorry. I was just surprised." Paige admitted. "I didn't think I'd see you again after..."

"The New Year's Eve party last year." Carla finished. "I know. Neither did I. But I'm in town visiting my roommate again." She explained, gesturing behind her. "I'm glad I ran into you actually. I was just about to call you. There's a New Year's Eve party at my friend's house tonight. You know where it is. I thought we could continue where we left off."

Paige cleared her throat, trying to ease her discomfort. "Continue." She repeated, feeling Emily's withering glare at Carla, then at her. "Um, Carla, you remember Emily, right?" She said, gesturing to the girl standing next to her.

"The one with the girlfriend. Yeah. Hi." Carla said, smiling at Emily. "You two still together?"

"No. I'm seeing someone else now." Emily answered.

"I see. So you're still taken." Carla commented, immediately losing interest in the girl. "So. What do you say?" She asked, focusing on Paige. "I don't mind being your New Year's Eve kiss again. You're a pretty awesome kiss..."

"I can't. I have plans with this girl right here." Paige interjected hurriedly, jutting her thumb at Emily.

Emily struggled to remain unaffected. "What are you talking about? It's not urgent. You can totally go to that party, Paige." She said, smiling at the girl encouragingly.

"But... I thought we were gonna do _that_ thing." Paige said, looking at Emily pointedly.

"What thing? There's no thing. Go to the party." Emily repeated calmly.

"You know, you can come too if you want." Carla offered. "If you and your girlfriend don't have any plans for the night, come with Paige."

"I'd rather not." Emily answered, shaking her head.

"Come on." Carla coaxed. "You and Paige seem to be a package deal. She won't go unless you do and I want this girl to come. Just tell your girlfriend to meet you there so she'd have no choice but to follow." She suggested. "Think about it. The party doesn't start until eight. Paige, you have my number in case you want to meet up before going to the party." She reminded the girl, touching Paige's arm familiarly before walking away.

Paige bit her bottom lip uneasily as she followed Carla's retreating back, unable to believe that the girl said all those things and left her there to be eaten alive. She slowly turned around, steeling herself for Emily's questions.

"So..." Paige started, trying to smile but it felt like a wince.

"You have her number?" Emily interjected, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she stared at Paige.

"She took my phone and put it there. I forgot I even had it." Paige explained. She waited for Emily to say something but the girl just stared at her wordlessly. "And I will delete it now." She continued, taking out her phone and searching for the number hurriedly. "There. See? Carla. Delete." She said, pressing the button and showing it to Emily.

"We're going to that party." Emily decided before walking again.

"Wait, what? No. No, no, no. I don't think that's a good idea." Paige said, catching up to the girl.

"Why?" Emily asked without looking at Paige as she continued walking towards her house.

"Because I don't want to be in that party. You're supposed to be my New Year's Eve kiss." Paige reminded the girl. "How am I supposed to do that when I can't get you alone?"

"It's a house. I'm sure there are several bedrooms there." Emily pointed out. "We should go to a New Year's Eve party tonight. It's out of town, right? Carla said you know the place since you've been there."

"Yeah. I have." Paige replied. "But I don't want to go. I don't want to kiss you in a bedroom. I want it to be in a place where..."

"We're going." Emily insisted.

"But you're supposed to be my New Year's Eve kiss." Paige repeated, pouting as she followed the girl. "Em, come on. I don't want to go." She called out but the girl pretended not to hear her. "I can't believe she's so jealous." She muttered under her breath.

* * *

"Why aren't you drinking?" Emily asked, looking at the girl who was seated on the porch steps next to her four hours later. She took another sip of the beer in her plastic cup before offering it to Paige.

"No thanks. One of us has to remain sober." Paige explained, moving her head away from the cup. She looked around the crowded front yard, nodding her head slightly when she saw Carla looking at her again.

The two girls arrived in Paige's car with the party already in full swing. Emily immediately made a beeline for the keg while Paige just stood in the entrance, trying to find a place where she could kiss the girl once midnight struck. But as the night wore on, she realized this place is hardly romantic and Emily getting drunk beside her just made being there all the more frustrating.

"Lighten up. This is supposed to be a party." Emily pointed out.

"Which I said I didn't want to go to." Paige reminded the girl, annoyed. "Why are you getting drunk?"

"I'm not." Emily argued.

"Yes you are. That's your third cup of beer." Paige said, looking at the red plastic cup the girl was holding in her hand. "And you're almost done with it."

"Why are you upset?" Emily asked, leaning her head on her hand and studying Paige.

"Because you're supposed to be my New Year's Eve kiss but instead you're getting wasted." Paige answered. "The only reason I agreed to come to this party is because you said we can just find a room here tonight. So I drove you here. Even if the last place I want to kiss you on New Year's Eve is in a party with drunken college students puking their guts out once the clock struck twelve. But then we get here and you've spent the better part of the night drinking that beer like it's water. It's like you don't even want to kiss me." She said, barely able to hide the annoyance she was feeling.

"Or maybe you're just using my drinking as an excuse to pick a fight so you can kiss someone else since you've done nothing but stare at Carla ever since we got here." Emily shot back.

"What? She's the only person I know here. I can't exactly ignore the one person I know in this place other than you." Paige pointed out. "Especially since you've been so busy making out with that plastic cup to be bothered to pay attention to the girl you're seeing. At least Carla acknowledges my presence." She added before she realized what she just said.

"Then I guess you should go find Carla. She thinks you're an awesome kisser, right?" Emily reminded the girl, getting up.

Paige sighed. "Em, come on." She said, unable to believe that they're fighting so close to midnight.

"I'm gonna grab a refill." Emily said before heading inside the house.

* * *

Paige knocked on the door of the last room in the second floor of the house, hoping she would finally find the girl she's been looking for all over the place once she opened it. "Hey. There you are." She said, releasing the breath she was holding in once she saw Emily lying on the bed. She entered the room and locked the door behind her, standing still as she let her eyes adjust to the darkness.

Emily lifted her head from the pillow to look at Paige. "Wasn't that hard to find me once you managed to avert your eyes from Carla's ass for a second." She retorted before resting her head on the pillow again. She was dizzy from all the alcohol she just consumed downstairs. That and she had been drinking on an empty stomach.

Paige sighed and walked over to the girl. "I told you I didn't want to go to this party." She said, sitting on the bed next to Emily.

"Why? Because I'd find out that you were really interested in Carla?" Emily said accusingly.

"No. Because now you're drunk and jealous and I just wanted to spend the night kissing you." Paige explained, brushing a strand of hair away from Emily's eyes. "But you're drunk. And jealous. So I can't kiss you right now without feeling like I'm taking advantage of you."

"I'm not drunk." Emily argued.

"But you're jealous." Paige pointed out. "Em, I promise I never hooked up with Carla. We kissed on New Year's Eve. That's it. It was a one-time thing and I wasn't seeing you then. You were with Jai." She reminded the girl before taking Emily's hand. "I want to say let's get out of here but I think we should stay for a bit. Until you're not so drunk anymore."

"Sorry I made out with a red plastic cup four times." Emily said, looking up at Paige.

"Good thing I don't get jealous when it comes to inanimate objects." Paige replied, kissing Emily on the forehead.

"I hate being jealous." Emily confessed.

Paige smiled. "I know. I hate it when you're jealous too. But I'm glad that even if you came to this party and got drunk, you're here with me." She added, caressing the girl's cheek.

"Oh yeah?" Emily asked, her voice hoarse.

"Yeah." Paige repeated. "Have I told you how gorgeous you look tonight?"

Emily moved a little to let Paige share the bed with her. "Not tonight. No." She answered, resting her hand on Paige's waist when the girl was finally lying next to her.

"Well you are. Gorgeous. All I want to do is kiss you." Paige admitted.

"Me too." Emily replied, smiling at the girl.

"Wait, you want to kiss yourself too? That's _awesome_. Show me!" Paige exclaimed, trying to make Emily laugh.

Emily lightly hit Paige on the arm before kissing the girl on the cheek. "I want to kiss you too but my breath smells of alcohol." She said, frowning.

"I don't mind. Just so long as you don't think I'm taking advantage of you." Paige hurriedly added.

Emily leaned forward and kissed Paige on the lips softly. "You're not. And I know you won't." She told the girl reassuringly.

"Well just to be safe, I think I'd rather hold you right now." Paige admitted, smiling when Emily moved her body closer and the girl rested her head on the crook of her neck. "I locked the door." She added before Emily could ask, earning a small laugh from the girl.

* * *

"Where are we?" Emily asked once Paige put the car into park. She unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned forward in her seat to look past the car's windshield and study her surroundings.

"A place outside of Rosewood." Paige answered vaguely before rolling down the car windows. She turned the engine off but decided to keep the stereo on so they could hear the countdown until the ball drops from the New York Times Square in just a few minutes. "Come on. The view is way better outside." Paige promised, turning up the volume of the stereo before alighting from the vehicle. She quickly made her way to the passenger side of the car so she could open the door for the girl.

Emily smiled as she alighted from inside the vehicle. "Where exactly outside of Rosewood?" She asked, looking around them.

Paige closed the door and took Emily's hand, leading the way to the front of the car. "I don't know what this place is called actually. But sometimes I call it the bluff. For obvious reasons." She added, gesturing to the wide expanse of land around and below them. "Few people know of this place because the access road is far from the main road." Paige revealed as she leaned her back against the hood of her car.

While Emily slept off her drunkenness for a few minutes earlier, Paige finally thought of the perfect spot for them to ring in the New Year together without anyone seeing them. When the girl finally woke up, she asked if Emily was up for a little drive or if the girl was still too drunk to leave the room and Emily got up and told Paige to show her this place.

"So how did you find out about it?" Emily asked, moving to stand in front of the girl with her back turned to Paige.

"I got lost when I was a kid and I ended up here." Paige admitted as she wrapped her arms around Emily's waist from behind.

"It seems private." Emily said, looking around them as she angled her body to face the girl.

Paige nodded. "It is. That's why I like coming to this place. And the view of Rosewood from up here is amazing especially at night." She added, nodding her head slightly to indicate the twinkling lights in the distance.

"It _is_ breathtaking." Emily said in agreement as she stared at the lights, mesmerized.

"I thought so too. But then I met you and this place just doesn't compare." Paige confessed, depositing a light kiss on the girl's cheek.

Emily smiled and slowly turned around to face the girl. "I'm glad you thought of this place tonight." She said before wrapping her arms around the girl's neck. "And we got here just in time. Countdown's starting."

Paige strained her ears to listen to the stereo, her eyes never leaving Emily's. She was waiting for the countdown to end and the fireworks to begin so she could ring in the new year with the girl she was holding in her arms.

"6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…"

Emily leaned forward to kiss Paige softly on the lips the second the countdown ended. "Happy New Year." She whispered, smiling at the girl just as fireworks went off around them.

Paige returned Emily's smile. "Happy New Year." She repeated. She cradled Emily's cheek and stared into the girl's eyes, the fireworks exploding in the night sky all around them illuminating Emily's exquisite features. She didn't know it was possible to be this happy. But she is. "Em…"

"Yeah?" Emily uttered, looking at the girl with twinkling brown eyes.

Paige opened her mouth to speak but at the last second leaned forward to capture Emily's lips on hers instead, letting her kiss say the words she couldn't tell the girl.

_I love you._


	21. sic infit : chapter xi

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

* * *

_**And I am back.**_

_**Thanks for the reviews!**_

_**EyeOpener16, saffyfan, PamyNovaes, sampledbeats, Vsaint and Nae10... Thanks for the PM.**_

* * *

**PART TWO: "Sic Infit"**

_~ So it begins. ~_

* * *

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

"Kayla's right. It _is_ easier to do this here." Paige mumbled before kissing Emily again, leaning closer when the girl slightly parted her lips.

Paige moved her hand to lightly rest on top of Emily's left thigh as the girl shifted from her position of resting both her legs on Paige's lap. Emily wrapped her arms tighter around the girl's neck and Paige leaned even closer as they deepened their kiss again.

"No gear shift." Paige continued, slowly moving her lips to the crook of Emily's neck. "No steering wheel." She added, making her way to Emily's ear while leaving a trail of soft kisses on the girl's warm skin. "More space. And I am partial to you sitting on my lap while doing this." She whispered, nibbling Emily's earlobe playfully. "We really should've done this sooner." Paige said, meeting Emily's eyes for a second before kissing the girl on the lips again.

"Stop talking." Emily ordered before thrusting her tongue into Paige's mouth when the girl parted her lips.

It was a cold Wednesday morning in January and the two girls were in the backseat of Paige's car, making out in a secluded area somewhere inside Kaskey Park. Paige picked up Emily from Harrison an hour before their class with the intention of grabbing breakfast with the girl but once Emily was inside her car, Paige's plan changed. They didn't get a chance to spend time together yesterday so she wanted to make the most out of today before they officially start the semester. Emily decided to catch a ride back to UPenn last night with Spencer and Connor so her mom won't give her a hard time about spending time with Paige and by the time she arrived in Philly, she was too tired to meet the girl.

"Sorry I made you miss breakfast." Paige said when they finally came up for air, brushing a strand of hair away from the girl's eyes.

Emily shook her head. "I wasn't hungry anyway." She answered, smiling.

"I'll make it up to you." Paige promised before kissing the girl's already swollen lips again.

Paige kissed Emily slowly this time, savoring the feel of the girl's soft lips mimicking hers. She felt that desire to feel Emily's smooth skin against her palm and began to slowly move her hand from Emily's thighs towards the hem of the girl's top, pausing every few seconds just to give Emily a chance to say stop. When her hand reached the hem, she slowly lifted it as she deepened their kiss, her pulse racing when Emily seemed okay with it. Paige imperceptibly moved her hand past the waistband of Emily's jeans and rested her palm on Emily's flat stomach, the feel of the girl's warm skin against hers increasing her desire. She began to caress Emily's skin, slowly traveling her hand upward, nearing the girl's chest.

"Paige." Emily uttered, panicked when she became aware of where the girl's hand was. She moved one arm from around Paige's neck to stop the girl's hand from going further up.

Paige slowly removed her hand from under Emily's shirt and kissed the girl on the cheek. "Sorry." She whispered, forcing her mind to wander to something else as she tried to quell her desire for the girl. After all, even if they were in a secluded spot, it _was_ broad daylight.

Emily moved from her position on Paige's lap, lowering her feet on the floor before fixing her top. "What time is it?" She asked even though she was wearing a watch, aware that her cheeks were flushed.

Paige glanced at the dashboard clock in front. "Almost seven." She answered as she studied Emily. "Which means we should probably get going. We don't want to be late for class." She added, making the girl look at her in surprise. "What?" Paige asked, amused by Emily's stunned expression.

"Nothing. I just thought you'd suggest skipping our class to make out in your apartment instead." Emily admitted.

Paige laughed lightly. "I'm not entirely opposed to that idea but I'm trying something new this semester." She explained, bringing her hand to Emily's neck to fix the collar of the girl's quill heather fleece jacket.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Emily asked, her skin tingling when Paige's cool fingers grazed her neck. She pulled up the zipper of her jacket just below her throat and lifted her hair from underneath the material before running her hand through her hair once to comb it.

"Focusing on my studies." Paige answered, to Emily's confusion. She got out of her car to transfer to the driver's seat before the girl could ask her anymore questions. "Ready to go?" She asked once she got inside and saw that Emily managed to transfer to the passenger seat without getting out of the vehicle.

"Yeah." Emily replied after buckling her seatbelt. She looked up and met Paige's eyes. "Just so you know, I prefer making out in the front seat. It might be cramped but at least you don't have to keep getting out of the car."

Paige nodded. "Noted. From now on we will only make out in front seats. Preferably in the driver's seat." She added, making Emily laugh. She pressed the engine start button and shifted the gear to drive, steering the car towards University Avenue to exit on Spruce Street. "Are you nervous?" She asked, glancing at the girl.

"No." Emily replied, laughing. "Paige we're not in kindergarten. It's just a new semester." She reminded the girl. "Are _you_ nervous?" She asked, noticing Paige's posture.

"Not because of my classes." Paige confessed. "It's the upcoming indoor track meets. I haven't exactly spent the holiday season training every chance I get."

"Well at least you can hold your breath for several minutes." Emily pointed out teasingly.

Paige smiled. "Yeah. If only I can win meets by standing on the finish line holding my breath life would be so much easier." She shot back.

"Paige you still ran every morning." Emily reminded the girl. "You never stopped training even if it's just running on the treadmill. You made sure you had time for it."

"I know. I just want to do really well this time. I promised Reese I was going to make up for losing in the regionals last semester." Paige explained as she expertly parallel parked across the street from Williams Hall and turned off the engine.

"How could you have lost that meet? Wasn't that a team effort?" Emily asked, unbuckling her seatbelt and alighting from the car with her shoulder bag and binder notebook. She stayed on the sidewalk and waited for the other girl to get out.

"It was. But my time contributed to the team's placing." Paige said as she locked the car doors before walking over to Emily. "Reese said it wasn't my fault but I think she's just trying to be nice." She added, about to lead the way to the nearest pedestrian crossing but Emily held her back.

"Hey. Stop being too hard on yourself." Emily said, releasing her grip on the girl's arm when Paige turned around to face her. "Reese wasn't trying to be nice. She's telling you the truth. You can't control the outcome of meets especially if it's a team effort. You were captain of our swim team and we didn't win all of our meets. You're used to losing sometimes. It's part of the game and you know that. Why are you blaming yourself now?" She asked, confused.

Paige took a deep breath and smiled faintly. "I guess I'm still trying to get used to being a member of the team. It's different when you lose and you're the team captain and when you lose and you're a member." She explained, running a hand through her hair warily. She turned around again to make her way to the pedestrian crossing and this time Emily followed her.

"Different how?" Emily asked as she crossed the street next to Paige.

"Seeing the disappointment in Reese's eyes when we lost... I used to be in her place so I know how she feels. You know how frustrated I get when we lose." Paige reminded Emily. "I tend to be hard on everyone afterwards because as captain I feel as if I let down the team and Coach Fulton. But I get to say a thing or two about it. Now... I let down my team captain, my teammates _and_ my coach but I can't say anything about it. I can't tell everyone how disappointing it is. How we should train harder. Because that's Reese's job. It's so frustrating... letting everyone down..."

"You didn't let anyone down." Emily interjected. "We've competed in countless swim meets together. Despite not getting along I know you never slack off when it comes to swimming. And you told me before that you love running more. So I'm sure you gave double the effort when you ran in your track meets."

"I guess so." Paige said, giving the girl a strained smile.

Emily looked around them and saw a cluster of trees beside Williams Hall. "Come here." She instructed, leading the way before she changed her mind.

Paige creased her brows but followed the girl, wondering what Emily was up to. She felt her eyes widen in surprise when the girl stopped in her tracks, turned around and suddenly moved to hug her. "Em..."

"It doesn't make you an awful person for feeling the way you do." Emily whispered in Paige's ear. "I get what you're trying to say. Being team captain... you were in a position to blame your teammates for losing. I know you don't want to but sometimes when you get fed up a part of you does anyway."

Paige moved to hold the girl closer to her and rested her head on Emily's shoulder, wishing they could stay that way for a while.

"Don't be too hard on yourself." Emily pleaded. "There's no one to blame. You do what you can. You can't win every game, Paige. But what matters is that you tried and that you gave your best." She said before kissing the girl on the cheek.

Paige nodded before pulling away, her eyes on the ground. "We better get going or we're really going to be late for class." She finally said.

Emily stared at the girl, at a loss as to how to get through to Paige. Sure she's been team captain a few times playing dodgeball. But that was nothing compared to being team captain for two years. She didn't know the kind of pressure Paige was in. She just knew that the girl didn't like losing and that what she just said about trying and giving your best probably sounded cliché to Paige.

"I almost forgot. Here's my schedule this sem." Emily said, deciding to change the subject as she grabbed a piece of paper from inside her binder and handed it to the girl.

Paige quickly scanned the class schedule printed on the piece of paper before slipping it inside her own binder notebook and nodded. "I'll give you mine after class." She promised before walking back the way they came, relieved that not a lot of students have classes this early in the morning when she emerged from the cluster of trees and saw that the coast was clear. "Got a pen?" Paige asked teasingly in an effort to lighten the mood once Emily was standing next to her.

"I thought you have me covered?" Emily answered, pretending to look panicked.

Paige laughed, fighting the urge to kiss the girl out in the open. "Just checking to see if you remembered." She admitted as they made their way up the steps and towards the front entrance of Williams Hall.

"Kinda hard to forget something as chivalrous as offering to walk around with all sorts of pens for me." Emily shot back jokingly.

"Hey I don't mind carrying an assortment of pens all the time if it meant Gary keeping her distance." Paige said before stopping in her tracks when she noticed that the girl's mood changed when she mentioned the name of MUSE's president. "Em..."

Emily shook her head. "It's fine." She said, giving Paige a tightlipped smile. She almost forgot that being back in UPenn meant running into Gary again. "I'm not going to join MUSE so we don't have to worry about her. It's not like I'm missing out on anything anyway." She added dismissively before walking past Paige and heading for the bank of elevators that would take them to the seventh floor.

* * *

Paige took a deep breath and struggled to stop her legs from bouncing as she looked around the room she was in, trying to control her anxiety while waiting for the woman seated behind the far end table on the corner to tell her to go inside. She was currently seated on a couch just outside one of the offices in Huntsman Hall, waiting to be seen by a college advisor. Her decision to see one today was spur of the moment and she was relieved that students can meet with an advisor for a few minutes even without setting an appointment. She really wanted to start working on the New Year's resolution she made this year.

"Miss McCullers. Mister Boyd will see you now." The woman said, giving Paige a pleasant smile.

Paige stood up and gave the woman a small smile before gathering her things and heading for the door which led to Scott Boyd's office. She knocked twice before turning the knob and opening the door a crack, stepping inside and closing the door behind her when the sandy-haired man gestured for her to come in.

"Sorry to bother you." Paige began as she slowly approached the college advisor. "You're probably busy."

Scott stood up and gave Paige a warm smile. "Not at all. Please. Have a seat." He said, gesturing to the chair in front of his table.

Paige sat down the same time Scott did and she placed her things on her lap, sitting up straight and trying not to make any unnecessary movements to hide her anxiety.

"What brings you here today, Miss McCullers?" Scott asked, getting straight to the point.

"Um… just a consultation. I know it's not until junior year. Having to declare a concentration in Wharton." Paige clarified, forcing herself to meet Scott's eyes. "But I want to know my options when it comes to choosing one." She continued. She only had ten minutes with the man so she had to make the most out of it.

Scott nodded. "I see. Well tell me a little about yourself. What are your interests?" He asked, studying Paige.

"Mostly sports." Paige answered after a beat. "And volunteering. I also like spending time with kids. Reading to them from time to time, playing with them. But I don't see myself teaching or being around them twenty-four seven unless they're my siblings." She explained, her fingers playing with the edge of one of the books on her lap. "Other than that I haven't really given much thought about what interests me."

"Something must have changed." Scott observed as he leaned against the backrest of his chair. "You're here today. The first day of spring semester, it's not even noon and you're eager to find a concentration."

"Just trying to make some changes in my life." Paige replied. "I have classes in the afternoon and track practice so this is the only free time I have today. I decided to come here before I changed my mind."

Scott gave the girl an encouraging smile. "I'll do what I can to help. But at the end of the day the decision is still up to you. So tell me. What made you choose Wharton in the first place?" He asked, bringing his hands together in front of him as he leaned forward. He glanced at the folder on top of his desk which Paige assumed contained her record before looking at the girl again.

Paige swallowed hard. "Process of elimination." She answered, slightly embarrassed. "I know I'm not cutout to be someone working in the field of Engineering and Applied Science or Nursing for that matter so those colleges were out. It's Arts and Sciences or Wharton and of the two, I ended up choosing Wharton."

"Why?" Scott urged gently.

"The courses seemed more interesting to me." Paige admitted. "I'm just... trying to figure out my place here in UPenn. This wasn't my first choice of school for college but I'm here now and I really want to make it work here."

Scott opened a drawer on his desk and took out several leaflets. "There are career fairs held on campus during the spring semester. Just in case you haven't been informed." He added, handing a few brochures to the girl after studying each one. "I strongly suggest that you attend these fairs just to see firsthand what your options are and what interests you. What awaits you once you graduate. Don't worry if you find five or ten or even twenty. That's what I'm here for. We can go through these options together and find the one that really interests you."

Paige accepted the brochures and studied the colorful photos of smiling people on the front, unable to see herself be that cheerful about something definite. But she really wanted to try. "Okay. Yeah. I'll go through these later." She promised, getting up. "Thank you for seeing me." She added earnestly. Although it was still a little hazy, she felt like she was getting somewhere.

Scott nodded and stood up as well. "My door is always open for a consult. You can schedule an appointment with Helen if you want to talk for longer than a few minutes. And it's never too early thinking about these kinds of things. It's good that you're trying to decide on a concentration this early on." He reassured the girl.

Paige gave Scott a thin smile before leaving to head back to her apartment. Emily was meeting Spencer for lunch and she wasn't going to see the girl until later in the afternoon when she picks up Emily from her last class. Might as well start poring through the reading materials the man gave her. She studied one of the brochures again, trying to imagine herself as one of the students in the photo. Glad that she figured out what she wanted to do years from now, but ended up getting frustrated instead. She tucked the brochures inside her binder and ran a hand through her hair wearily. This is going to be harder than she thought.

* * *

"You're seriously considering joining a sorority?" Emily asked before taking a sip from her bottle of water.

Spencer shrugged. "The thought crossed my mind. It's not final. I'm just toying with the idea right now. It's not just any sorority, Em. It's in preparation for entering law school." She explained while slicing a portion of her taco salad.

The two girls were seated across each other on a table beside the window, having a late lunch in Hill College House's residential dining on the corner of Walnut and 33rd Street. Emily just came from her morning shift in Café Prima, Spencer from her Italian language class, and they decided to meet somewhere near their next classes.

"But you're already planning to join the Penn Student Government and that John Marshall Pre-Law Honor Society this semester. Won't you have a hard time juggling all those organizations _and_ your studies as well?" Emily pointed out as she speared a broccoli from the steamed vegetables on her plate.

"I'll find a way. But like I said, I'm just toying with the idea right now." Spencer repeated. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Emily asked, giving Spencer a confused look. "I don't plan on rushing a sorority."

"No I meant what are your plans this semester? Do you plan to join any organizations? MUSE perhaps?" Spencer added, raising an eyebrow at her friend inquisitively.

Emily sighed. To be honest she was still on the fence about the entire thing. Sure she told Paige earlier that she didn't want to join. But that was because of Gary. If the president was out of the picture she would join the organization in a heartbeat and she had a feeling Paige knew that. She didn't know what to tell her friend though. She didn't want to tell Spencer that she wanted to join MUSE because the girl would push the issue of Gary again. But she didn't want to say that she didn't want to join because then her friend would insist that she join _then_ push the issue of Gary again. Emily opened her mouth to speak but her eyes drifted to the entrance of the dining hall and she felt her stomach turn when she saw Gary enter the room with a couple of students Emily recognized as members of MUSE. She tried to look away to pretend she didn't see the girl but Gary spotted her before she could and Emily saw the girl's eyes light up.

"Emily Fields. Fancy meeting you here." Gary said in greeting once she was standing in front of the girl.

Emily forced a smile on her lips before looking at her friend for support even though she knew Spencer probably had something to do with as to why Gary was there the same time she was.

"I see you decided to try the food here for a change." Gary continued when she saw the almost finished plate of steamed vegetables in front of the girl. "Pretty good, right?"

"Yeah." Emily answered, suddenly losing her appetite. She lowered the fork on the side of the plate and looked at Gary again. "But I prefer the food in Café McClelland."

"Too bad. This is where we usually gather to grab a meal." Gary revealed, nodding her head towards a table farther down the room where a group of students sat. "But you're still MUSE material and we're waiting for you to join us. All you need to do is take care of your application and you're in."

"I'm still thinking about it." Emily said, giving the girl an apologetic look.

Gary nodded. "Well just in case you do decide to join, take care of your membership to AMA first then give the receipt to Zach so we can process it." She instructed. "It's just a matter of making things official. Most of the members are looking forward to you joining our ranks since you came highly recommended." She added, winking at Emily knowingly. "Spencer." Gary said, acknowledging the other girl before walking away.

"What's there to think about?" Spencer asked when she and Emily were alone again.

"Did you ask me to meet you here so we could run into Gary?" Emily replied accusingly.

"What? No." Spencer answered firmly. "I didn't know she was going to be here." She promised. "But don't you think it's a sign? That you should give Gary and MUSE a chance? You ran into her on your first day back here."

"Spence, please." Emily begged. "I don't know, okay? But please stop forcing Gary on me. It's never gonna happen." She said before getting up, choosing not to finish her lunch. "I have to go. I don't want to be late for my next class." Emily explained before walking past her friend to head out of the room.

* * *

"Why are you doing it again?" Reese asked, glancing at Paige before closing the door of the locker she just used for the afternoon.

Track practice was officially over for the day and the two girls were taking their time catching up inside the locker room at the indoor track in Penn Park. Since Emily changed her shift at the café to mornings this sem, Paige really had no reason to go there in the afternoons unless Reese invited her and it looked like the girl had no plans to go there today.

"I just think it's worth a shot. I've been trying to find a way to be more involved here. Not just in sports and academics. So I figured it wouldn't hurt to join an organization." Paige explained. She looked behind her and stepped forward to let one of their teammates pass.

"Yeah but why PennPals? Why not join something related to your concentration?" Reese inquired as she led the way outside of the locker room.

Paige bit her bottom lip before answering. "Because I still don't know what concentration to take. I'm planning to attend career fairs but right now I have no idea. And joining an academic organization isn't the same as joining a social one. If I want to immerse myself with the community, joining something related to my career isn't the way to go. Not right now." She explained as she followed her friend outside.

"You're hoping to get Brian as your pen pal, aren't you?" Reese guessed, giving Paige a knowing look. "Since PennPals is getting kids from Drew Academy to participate?"

"Yeah." Paige admitted. "Though I'm fine with getting a different kid for a pen pal of course." She added hurriedly. "But if I _do_ get paired up with Brian, that would give me a chance to spend time with him. I kinda miss that kid."

"Sorry for Billie's attitude towards you." Reese said apologetically knowing her girlfriend wasn't keen on her brother spending time with the girl.

Paige shook her head. "It's fine. You can't please everybody. I mean, you were hardly impressed with my performance this afternoon." She said dejectedly.

Reese rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, newbie. I can't believe you're bringing that up again. It's not just you. We were all a little out of shape after the winter break. It's understandable. Don't be too hard on yourself." She said as she and Paige exited to the indoor track. "And out of all of us you're the only one who actually managed to maintain her time from last semester."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Paige asked wryly.

"Yeah. It should. You didn't slack off. And I'm not saying that because I'm your friend. As your team captain I'm actually impressed that you found the time to train despite being on vacation." Reese said seriously. "I spent most of mine sleeping and eating. I'm disgusted with myself." She added, making a face.

Paige laughed a little while fixing the strap of her duffel bag. "Well it's not like I was busy while I was in Rosewood. If I wasn't training I was holed up in my house, channel surfing. It's not the same as sleeping and eating but I had those moments too. It was a pretty boring winter break actually." She said, looking everywhere but at her friend.

"So you still didn't make a move on Emily over the holidays?" Reese asked suspiciously. "All those mistletoes hanging around town, countdown to New Year? Don't tell me you weren't tempted to make a move on her. The holiday season is the perfect romantic setting for you to finally ask that girl to try again."

Paige shook her head. "I didn't. Emily spent most of her time catching up with her other friends who were studying in New York." She explained. "The only chance we got to spend time together was when my best friend's dad asked us to help in the preparations for the rooftop party at the hospital on New Year's Eve."

"_Really_. So why is she waiting for you now?" Reese said, nodding her head subtly towards a section of the bleachers. "That's a first. I have a feeling you weren't alone channel surfing in that house of yours." She added teasingly. "We better say our goodbyes here. I'm headed to Drexel anyway." Reese explained, touching Paige's shoulder before joining some of their teammates as they headed outside the building.

Paige watched Reese for a second before looking towards the direction her friend gestured to earlier and felt her lips curl into a smile when she saw Emily seated on one of the bleachers. She made her way towards the girl and stopped when Emily stood up and approached her.

"Hey." Emily said in greeting, flashing Paige a smile that showed off the girl's dimples.

"What... are you doing here?" Paige asked, surprised.

"This is your last class, right?" Emily replied. "I mean your last thing for the day." She corrected herself, taking out Paige's class schedule to show it to the girl.

Paige nodded without looking at it. "Yeah. But I was on my way to pick you up from _your_ last class." She reminded Emily.

"I didn't have a class. My professor in Ancient Economies didn't show up so I decided to go here." Emily explained before returning the girl's schedule inside her binder. "But I got lost trying to find this building so I got here just as your training was over." She continued, frowning. "Which sucked because I was hoping to see you in action."

"You were hoping to see me in action." Paige repeated, surprised. "That's why you decided to come here."

"Well I wanted to see you." Emily replied, shrugging like it was no big deal. "I didn't want to go back to Harrison without seeing you first."

Paige smiled, fighting the urge to grab Emily and kiss her right there. "I missed you too." She said, stepping a little closer to the girl.

Emily swallowed hard, sure that her cheeks were starting to redden. She studied the girl standing a few steps away from her, still unable to believe that she didn't notice sooner how gorgeous Paige is. She cleared her throat, trying to hide from the girl how hard her heart was beating at the moment.

"Can we have dinner or something in your apartment?" Emily asked, wanting to get some privacy with the girl.

Paige nodded. "You read my mind. Come on. I'll drive you back to Harrison afterwards." She offered as she led the way outside the building with Emily walking next to her.

* * *

The moment Paige opened the door to her apartment and entered the room, Emily pushed her way inside and locked the door behind her. Before the girl could react, she grabbed Paige by the waist and kissed the other girl hungrily. Paige let herself be pulled into the kiss, still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she's kissing Emily. She gets to hold and kiss Emily Fields. She heard the girl drop her things on the floor and she followed suit, dropping her duffel bag as she deepened the kiss and felt herself being pushed towards the direction of her couch. Paige happily obliged, landing on it with Emily lying on top of her.

Paige laughed as she tried to remove the throw pillows to make their position comfortable. "I thought you wanted to have dinner?" She asked breathlessly.

"I just wanted to be alone with you." Emily admitted, depositing a trail of wet kisses along Paige's neck. "I've been dying to do this since I saw you earlier." She added, kissing Paige on the lips before pulling back to stare at the girl lying underneath her.

Emily let her gaze wander on Paige's features. From the girl's rosy cheeks to her sparkling brown eyes to the way her mouth was turned up into a smile, her soft lips begging to be kissed again and again and again. Emily sighed. She could stare at Paige all day and it wouldn't be enough.

"You're so beautiful." Emily whispered, bringing her hand to touch the side of Paige's cheek before kissing the girl softly. "I can't get enough of you. I just want to kiss you all night."

Paige grinned, her heart pounding. "Spend the night here." She suggested before she lost her nerve, gently tucking a strand of hair behind the girl's ear, the gesture making Emily's pulse race. "I want to kiss you all night too."

"But I have an early shift at the café." Emily said reluctantly. "And I don't have a change of clothes. And Spencer's gonna wonder where I spent the night again." She rambled on, nervous about the idea of sleeping over but tempted to say yes as well.

"I can drive you to work tomorrow." Paige offered. "I don't have anything planned in the morning. And the clothes you wore the night you walked in the rain are still here. You can wear those. As for Spencer wondering where you spent the night, just tell her you're staying at Kayla's apartment which happens to be right on this floor." She reminded the girl before blindly reaching for the cordless phone behind her and handing it to Emily.

"I'm trying to keep my lying to a minimum." Emily confessed, biting her bottom lip as she stared at the phone then at Paige.

"Would you rather tell her that you are currently lying on top of me and can't seem to figure out a way to move?" Paige asked mischievously.

"_No_." Emily answered hurriedly, snatching the phone from Paige's hand before sitting up. "Are you sure you don't mind me spending the night?"

Paige nodded. "I'm sure. That works in my favor." She added, taking in Emily's features.

"Why?" Emily asked, slightly nervous.

Paige brought her hand up to Emily's neck to pull the girl close to her. "Because I get to kiss you all night." She said as she closed the distance between them to kiss Emily quickly. "We get to do this here uninterrupted and since I can't kiss you in public I'd love to have you sleep over if it means we get to do this before we fall asleep."

Emily smiled, satisfied with the girl's answer. "Well when you put it that way, then I guess I can spend the night here." She decided.

"Dinner?" Paige asked when she remembered Emily's excuse earlier.

Emily leaned forward to return the cordless phone on its cradle. "Maybe later. I think I'll call Spencer later too." She added when her gaze traveled to Paige's lips, her mind far from thinking about dinner and Spencer as she closed the distance between them once again.

* * *

Kayla mindlessly pushed the grocery cart while she studied each item on every aisle she passed by, mentally crossing off items in her list of things she thought of on a whim to buy. She had been wandering aimlessly around the store for about an hour now, not really in the mood to go back to her apartment by herself. She stopped next to the aisle filled with cereals and other breakfast items and stared at the contents of her cart. _Bleach, detergent, fabric softener, bathroom tissue, milk, maple syrup, potato chips_... she still had all of these back in her place but she felt like she needed to buy them anyway just to have an excuse not to go back to her apartment.

"Kayla." Kayla looked up when she heard her name and found herself staring at Emily's gorgeous face.

"Hey, Em." Kayla said in greeting, managing to give the girl a smile.

Jai's girlfriend... _or is it Paige's girlfriend now?_ Kayla really didn't know. But Emily was the reason why she didn't want to go home just yet. She was on her way home from Girard and was about to get off the bus earlier when she saw Emily and Paige get out of the latter's car and before she changed her mind, she missed her stop and decided to get off the next one instead.

"Doing a little grocery shopping?" Emily asked, studying the contents of the girl's cart before looking at Kayla again with a warm smile on her face.

"I could say the same thing about you." Kayla said in reply, nodding her head towards Emily's right hand. "What, no grocery store near Harrison?" She asked lightly.

Emily glanced at the contents of the basket she was carrying before returning her attention to the girl. "These are for Paige." She explained, telling a half truth as she indicated the carton of milk, bottle of maple syrup, box of pancake mix and cereal in the basket. "She asked me to buy some breakfast food before I came over to have dinner with her tonight."

_Dinner and..._ "Breakfast." Kayla repeated, staring at the food items numbly. "I guess you two are having dinner tonight to study again." She said as she focused her attention to Emily.

"Uh, no. We're not. We're just having dinner. It's our first day back, Kayla. There's hardly any studying to be done." Emily reminded the girl teasingly, oblivious to Jai's sister's distress.

"Right." Kayla said, smiling faintly. She really thought she was okay with the two girls hooking up. Paige was happy. Emily made Paige happy. And Emily... Kayla carefully studied the girl standing in front of her. Emily looked really happy and she was certain it wasn't because all the items on the girl's basket were on sale. She wanted to be happy for them. But right now…

"Are you almost done?" Emily asked, jarring Kayla from her musing. "I could wait for you and we could go back to your apartment building together." She offered.

Kayla shook her head. "Not yet. You should go ahead. I still have a few things I need to buy." She lied, gesturing vaguely around them.

"Okay. I guess I'll see you around then. Goodnight." Emily said before walking past the girl to head for the cashiers.

"Goodnight." Kayla repeated.

Kayla waited for Emily to round the corner and disappear before she took out her phone and scrolled the numbers in her contact list, trying to decide who to call. She began to push the cart back the way she came, returning items on the shelf one by one. It was useless to pass the time there. Not when the two girls were planning a sleepover. She can't go home tonight. She needed alcohol... and probably something else.

* * *

"So here's a change of clothes." Paige said, handing Emily a pair of gray sweatpants and her faded Rosewood Sharks t-shirt once she was standing in front of the girl. "And a new toothbrush. And a new bath towel." She added, indicating the two items on top of the clothes. "Everything else you need is in the bathroom. Toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, body wash..."

"Paige, I feel like I just checked into a hotel. I'm not staying in a hotel." Emily pointed out teasingly, trying to hide her own nervousness.

Paige swallowed hard. "Right. Sorry. Just... showing you your things. And where to find my things." She added, managing to give the girl a small smile.

"I've slept here before." Emily reminded the girl.

Paige let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah. Almost forgot about that one." She said, placing one hand on the back of her neck before meeting the girl's eyes.

The two of them stared at each other for a second longer before looking at the bed, each realizing that the last time Emily slept over, Paige slept on the couch and the other girl got the bed to herself.

Paige cleared her throat and brought her hand to her lips, pinching the corners of her mouth with her thumb and middle finger as she tried to calm her nerves. "Okay then. I guess I'll just grab a pillow and a blanket and you have the room to yourself." She said, reaching for the blanket and one of the pillows on the bed and leaving the comforter for Emily to use.

"Wait, where are you going?" Emily asked, stopping the girl before she lost her nerve.

"To the living room." Paige answered, gesturing to the open bedroom door.

"You're sleeping on the couch?" Emily continued, torn between feeling relieved and confused.

Paige nodded. "Yeah." She replied anxiously.

"Paige... the reason I agreed to spend the night here was so I could sleep next to you." Emily pointed out. "I mean... I said yes because I thought you asked me to spend the night for the same reason..."

"Yeah. Yeah I did. To sleep together. Not together _together_!" Paige exclaimed when she saw Emily stiffen. "But not that I don't want to sleep with you! Of course I do!" _Oh my god you're rambling. And you're freaking out Emily_. "I meant I asked you to spend the night because I want to sleep... beside you. Just sleep." She finally managed to say.

Emily let out the breath she was holding in. "Okay." She said, giving the girl a small smile. "I'll just change into these and I'll be back." She added, gesturing to the door nervously.

"Okay." Paige repeated, telling herself to breathe as she watched Emily head for the bathroom.

Paige looked around her, trying to control the racing of her heart. She suddenly felt silly when she realized she was standing in the middle of her bedroom while hugging the blanket and her pillow to her chest. She walked over to her bed and pulled the cover before returning the pillow and the blanket so when Emily came back, she and the girl could go to sleep. Except her mind wasn't thinking of sleeping. The mere thought of lying next to Emily for the rest of the night made her body feel alive.

This night was entirely different from the time Emily purposely got drunk on New Year's Eve and they ended up sharing a bed in some stranger's house while the girl slept off her drunkenness. Totally different. And that made her really nervous. Paige turned on the bedside lamp before turning off the bedroom light, bathing the room in a warm yellow glow. Her breath hitched when she heard the bathroom door open, aware that Emily was headed back to the room and Paige turned around to face the door.

"Do you have a side you prefer to sleep on?" Paige asked once Emily entered the room. "Left side, right side?"

Emily gently closed the door behind her and shook her head. "I'm fine sleeping on either side." She answered, slowly walking towards the girl. "You choose."

"I'll take the right side. Closer to the alarm and the bedside lamp." Paige explained. She gestured for the girl to get in on the bed first before following suit, aware that her heart was pounding so hard.

Emily lied on the bed on her side and bit her bottom lip as she watched Paige lie down next to her. They stared at each other for a minute, their breaths mingling with the proximity of their bodies until Paige couldn't take it anymore. She moved ever so slightly and kissed Emily, making the girl smile.

"And here I thought you wanted to go to sleep." Emily admitted timidly.

Paige let out a low laugh and brushed a strand of hair away from the girl's eyes. "I _did_ say I want to kiss you until we fall asleep." She reminded Emily before placing her arm around the girl's waist.

Emily moved closer until their eyelashes were almost touching and smiled when they blinked at the same time, their lashes brushing against each other. She tilted her head and kissed the girl softly, her heart hammering when Paige kissed her back. She felt herself being pulled closer to the girl and she moved her hand to the back of Paige's neck, caressing it as she slightly parted her lips and gave access to Paige's tongue, at the back of her mind knowing that they would stay up late doing this when Paige rolled her over and the girl ended up lying on top of her, their kisses slowly intensifying as their lips parted and met hungrily again and again.

* * *

Paige cursed inwardly as she studied the stack of burnt pancakes on the plate in front of her, wondering where she went wrong. She grabbed the box of pancake mix Emily bought last night and read the instructions printed on the back of the box for the third time before staring at the photo on the front, scratching her head in frustration as she studied the layers of golden brown pancakes with the maple syrup dripping invitingly on all sides of the stack. She wanted to cook breakfast for Emily before driving the girl back to campus so she woke up earlier than usual and after working out in the gym upstairs for a couple of hours, she hurriedly went back to her apartment to prepare her surprise for the girl. But now, as she stared forlornly at the stack of pancakes that almost looked like toast, she'd be surprised if Emily didn't keel over and die from choking. She grabbed a fork and tried poking the pancake on top of the stack, groaning inwardly when the fork barely made it to the center of the pancake.

_I think I should've added more water_. Paige started when she heard her bedroom door open and close and she hurriedly looked around for a place to hide the horrible plate of food. She dashed to the microwave and placed the plate of pancakes inside, closing the door just as Emily emerged from the hallway leading to the bedroom, fresh from taking a shower and wearing the clothes she wore the night they made out in her car for hours under the rain.

"Morning!" Paige said in greeting, a little enthusiastic than she intended. She quickly threw to the sink the fork she was still holding and gave Emily a smile as the utensil made a clanging noise.

Paige grabbed the empty box of pancake mix sitting on the kitchen countertop and threw it in the trashcan before moving to open the fridge to get the carton of milk. She then grabbed two bowls and spoons and carried all the items to the couch like nothing was wrong. Now that the pancakes were rendered inedible, they were left with no choice but to eat cereal.

"Morning." Emily repeated before making a face. "Were you cooking? I smell something burning." She said, looking towards the kitchen.

Paige shook her head. "Must be one of my neighbors. Sometimes Raoul forgets to use his range hood when he cooks." She answered, trying not to act guilty for lying.

Emily walked over to the girl and brushed a white speck of dust on Paige's cheek before kissing the spot, now aware that the girl just tried to cook pancakes for breakfast. "I'll get the cereal." She offered instead of asking where the pancakes went.

Emily headed for the kitchen and went through the cupboards, looking for the box of cereal she bought for them last night. _Bingo_. She thought when she found it in the last cupboard she opened. She took it out and was about to close the cupboard door when she saw something that made her stop. _That's weird_. Leaning forward, she reached out to grab the box and study it, surprised when she realized she was holding an unopened box of energy bars. It felt like a lifetime ago since she last ate one. _Why would Paige have this around?_

_"So what's the verdict?"_

_"I hated it."_

_"Seriously? I was so sure you would like it."_

_"Well I didn't. So I guess you're eating those energy bars with me until Jai returns."_

_Until Jai returns_. Emily thought. But Jai was never coming back. And because of the lie she told Paige that day, the girl had been eating these things all this time. It needed to stop.

With a heavy sense of dread, Emily returned the box inside the cupboard before turning around to study the girl seated on the couch. She bit her bottom lip and contemplated what she was about to do before she slowly walked back to the living room. Emily slowly wrapped her arms around Paige's neck from behind and kissed the girl on the cheek softly as she handed the box of cereal to her.

"Thanks." Paige said, smiling at Emily. She waited for the girl to sit next to her before pouring some cereal in Emily's bowl and then in hers.

Emily wordlessly poured some milk in Paige's bowl before pouring some in hers and watched as Paige began eating. "Promise you won't get mad?" She began, swallowing hard.

Paige stopped eating her breakfast and looked at Emily. "Promise." She said, putting down her bowl of cereal on the coffee table and facing the girl's worried face. "What is it?"

"The thing is… I lied about hating the granola bar." Emily finally admitted, cringing as she waited for the girl's temper to flare.

Paige sighed. "You saw the energy bars didn't you?" She guessed, looking towards the cupboards briefly.

"I didn't want you to have something against me more than you already had at the time." Emily hurriedly explained. "You were making fun of me enough as it is. You finding out that I _did_ like the granola bar more than the energy bar was like giving you more ammo to use against me. Please don't get mad."

"I'm not mad. I actually understand you." Paige said, smiling at Emily.

"Jai isn't coming back. You know you could've stopped eating those things when she died." Emily reminded the girl.

Paige looked away. "I know. But for some reason it didn't feel right. Just getting out of the bet that easily. Like it was an out and I didn't deserve it after everything I put you through." She admitted, her voice hoarse.

Emily leaned forward to force Paige to meet her eyes. "Well I lied. All this time I lied. You won that bet." She pointed out. "I'm sorry you had to force yourself to eat those things."

"Nah. I kinda got used to the taste eventually." Paige replied offhandedly, trying to lighten the mood. "Just forget about it. I'll finish that last box then I'm back to eating chewy granola bars." She promised.

Emily smiled faintly. "So you won our bet and if I remembered correctly you said that if you did you're going to ask something from me and that whatever it is I can't say no." She reminded the girl. "Did you already have one in mind? Back when you said that?"

Paige shook her head. "Nope. And I really never got a chance to think much about it since I thought you won." She admitted.

"And now?" Emily asked, looking at Paige anxiously.

"Still no idea." Paige answered. "I guess I'll just know when to use it when the right time comes." She added before reaching for her bowl of cereal.

Emily nodded and they ate their breakfast in comfortable silence until her eyes drifted to Paige's laptop which was sitting on the coffee table in front of them. "PennPals?" She asked, looking curiously at the girl seated next to her when she saw the display on the screen.

Paige glanced at the website she was browsing earlier while cooking breakfast before looking at Emily. "Yeah. I was thinking of joining it." She explained, putting down her breakfast again. "I found out that the organization's one-on-one mentoring program involved Drew Academy and that happens to be the school Belinda's brother goes to."

"Belinda?" Emily repeated, looking at Paige warily. "Are you seeing another girl and forgot to tell me about it?" She asked, her stomach turning into knots.

Paige laughed and leaned forward to give Emily a quick kiss on the lips. "No. You're the only girl I'm seeing." She promised. "Belinda, Billie for short, is Reese's long-time girlfriend and Brian is Billie's seven-year-old brother. I met him when Reese picked him up from soccer practice and I tagged along. He's a cool kid and really smart for his age so I'm fond of him. I'm hoping to get him as my pen pal if I join. I can't see him as often as I want so maybe through this I get to spend time with him."

"I was thinking of joining PennPals too." Emily admitted. "Jai and I planned to join two organizations in the spring semester of our freshman year and I've been thinking of joining PennPals since last sem."

"And for the other one?" Paige prodded. "MUSE?" She guessed. When Emily didn't say anything, Paige moved closer to the girl and stroked Emily's hair gently. "Talk to me." She said when she noticed the girl's worried expression.

Emily sighed. "I _do_ want to join. But Gary's there. Maybe I can just wait until she graduates." She added, trying to sound optimistic.

"And when is that exactly?" Paige asked, giving the girl a wry smile. "Even if she graduates, Gary will always be a part of that organization. She's going to be an alumnus." She pointed out.

"So you're saying that I should just forget about it." Emily said, running a hand through her hair dejectedly. She really wanted to join MUSE. Not just because she was looking forward to being part of such a prestigious organization but because it was also the fulfillment of one of her dreams and the promise she made to Jai that she would dream for the both of them.

"No. Em, I'm not trying to discourage you from joining." Paige corrected the girl. "What I meant was you can't let Gary's persistence in pursuing you romantically deter you from joining an organization you could benefit from in the future. MUSE has been a part of your dreams so don't let her get to you." She said firmly. "Gary isn't the whole organization. She doesn't control it. She's just the president. And I doubt all the members are going to give you a hard time for turning her down."

Emily gave Paige a faint smile. "I ran into her yesterday. She came over while Spencer and I were having lunch at the Hill residential dining. Turns out that's where the members of MUSE go to have lunch and Gary came in with a couple of members in tow. She asked if I've come to a decision and I said I was still thinking about it." She explained, playing with the spoon on her cereal bowl. "The second she left Spencer was back to her usual antics. Pushing me to join MUSE and give Gary a chance. I've told her repeatedly to let the matter drop but she won't listen. And I feel like if I do decide to join, Spencer's going to tolerate Gary's behavior and I don't need that. I'd have to spend time with Gary. Attending meetings, workshops for activities... I need my friend on _my_ side."

Paige gave Emily a comforting hug. "How about we join PennPals together before you go to work?" She suggested, trying to take Emily's mind off MUSE. "That's one organization down. We'll figure out the other one after that."

"Yeah okay." Emily agreed, taking a deep breath and smiling at the girl.

"Finish your breakfast and then we'll head to campus." Paige said, getting up and kissing the top of Emily's head softly. "I'll just put on something a little warmer." She added, gesturing to her gym clothes before heading to her bedroom to change.

Emily nodded and tried to finish her breakfast while she waited for Paige to return. Although she still didn't know what to do when it came to MUSE and Gary, she felt a little better that even if she couldn't talk to Spencer, Paige was there to listen to her.

* * *

Spencer impatiently checked the time on her watch before heaving a sigh, looking around the quadrangle for any sign of the person she was supposed to meet. She only had a few minutes to spare before she had to get to class on the other side of campus and she was in no way willing to be late because she agreed to meet Paige. She wanted to ignore the text she got earlier but Paige actually used the word 'please' that she ended up saying yes, curious enough to find out what the girl wanted from her.

"Sorry I'm late!" Paige called out as she jogged over to where Spencer was sitting on one of the benches. Signing up for the mentoring program at PennPals took longer than expected and Emily got to work late because of it. As a matter of fact, she just dropped off the girl at the café and she didn't tell Emily that she was meeting Spencer afterwards. "This won't take long." She added when she saw Emily's friend check the time on her watch.

"What the hell is so important that you refused to meet later instead of now?" Spencer asked, annoyed.

"It's about Emily." Paige answered, getting straight to the point before sitting next to the girl. "She needs you on her side. You need to look after her."

"I am. That's why I don't trust you and I never will." Spencer pointed out.

"I'm not the enemy." Paige said patiently. "I'm not out to hurt her. Actually, of the two of us, right now I'm the one who's looking after her."

"And what do you think I'm doing all this time?!" Spencer shot back.

"Forcing what you want." Paige replied without missing a beat. "Emily wants to join MUSE but she can't do that until she knows that you've got her back. Gary makes her really uncomfortable and she needs to know that you won't tolerate that girl's behavior once they're forced to spend time together." She explained. "I know you have good intentions. Why you're doing this. Why you're pushing Emily to date Gary. I know you and Hanna and Aria want her to move past what happened. I do too. Believe it or not. I do. But you have to let Emily move on in a pace that she feels comfortable with. She needs your support in whatever makes her happy."

"She _has_ my support." Spencer insisted, unable to believe that she was getting a lecture on how to be a friend from Paige McCullers.

"Lately she doesn't feel that way." Paige admitted. She knew it wasn't her business. And there was a possibility that Emily would get mad at her when the girl and Spencer ended up fighting even more. But she decided to risk it. She just couldn't stand by and watch Emily's friendship with one of her best friends deteriorate. "I know you want Emily to move on. So does she. She understands your intentions. But you need to respect Emily's wish and let her do it on her own terms."

"How do you know this?" Spencer asked warily.

"She's been confiding in me because she can't talk to you without the conversation leading to an argument." Paige confessed. "You're the only one who can convince her to join MUSE." She added before getting up. "You know she belongs in that world. She shouldn't miss out on it just because a woman named Gary Chambers doesn't know the meaning of the word _no_. Emily needs you on her side so be the friend she needs right now and have her back when it comes to Gary." She pleaded before walking back the way she came, leaving Spencer to look at her thoughtfully.

* * *

Emily stood just outside the building on 3730 Walnut Street a little past two in the afternoon, waiting for her friend to arrive. She just finished her shift at the café about an hour ago and was about to meet Paige for a late lunch when she got a text from Spencer, asking to meet her there and when she asked why, her friend said something about having her back. Whatever that meant. At first she was tempted to say no. If this was another ploy of Gary's and Spencer was somehow helping the girl, she would seriously lose it.

"Hey." Spencer said in greeting, touching her friend's shoulder lightly.

Emily turned around to face the girl, trying to figure out what Spencer was up to. "Hey." She repeated, looking at her friend warily.

"Have you been waiting long?" Spencer asked as she rummaged around her shoulder bag for something.

"No." Emily answered, her eyes never leaving the girl. "Why did you ask to meet me here?"

"For... this." Spencer said, taking out the paper she was looking for from inside her bag. "I took the liberty of taking care of the AMA registration online that's why I was late getting here. My printer was acting out again so I went to Connor's to print this."

Emily took the piece of paper her friend was handing to her and read the content. It was a receipt. She looked up at the girl, confused. "Spence..."

"Just pay me back whenever. Or maybe never. Consider it my apology for being a crappy friend lately." Spencer explained.

"Why are you doing this?" Emily asked, staring at the piece of paper again.

"Because I'm your friend. Not Gary's." Spencer answered earnestly. "I'm sorry for being so hardheaded when it comes to your love life. For refusing to listen. You want to join MUSE and you should. You should join it because of what it could give you and what you could contribute to it. I promise you have my support starting today. Gary shouldn't be a factor in your decision to join and I'm sorry I made you feel that way."

Emily stared at her friend for a second before moving forward to hug Spencer briefly. "Thank you." She uttered, feeling like a burden has been lifted from her shoulders.

Spencer smiled. "Don't mention it. After all the crap I pulled forcing Gary on you, this was the least I could do." She told her friend reassuringly. "Come on. Let's head inside."

Emily nodded and led the way, spotting Zach from a distance even before she reached the long table at the far end of the hall. There was no sign of Gary and for a second she felt relieved but then the girl emerged from one of the corridors, deep in conversation with someone as they approached the table so she hasn't seem them yet. But Zach did. And Emily knew the guy alerted Gary because the girl turned around and watched as she and Spencer approached the table.

"I got your back." Spencer promised under her breath. "Just do what you have to do."

"I see you've come to a decision." Gary said in greeting, giving Emily a pleased smile. She accepted the receipt Emily handed to her and studied the printout quickly before handing the paper to Zach without taking her eyes off the girl. "Welcome to MUSE." She continued, extending a hand.

Emily reluctantly shook the girl's hand, aware that Gary was holding on to her hand longer than necessary. "Thanks." She replied, trying to smile out of courtesy.

"_Wow_. Good thing Paige isn't here or she might think something's going on." Spencer suddenly commented much to Emily's surprise and confusion. "Remember Paige, Em? Your new _girlfriend_ who's overly _jealous_?" She emphasized, hoping her friend would take the hint and go along with her plan. She knew there was a chance that it wouldn't work. That there was a chance that the president of MUSE didn't have boundaries and would still continue pursuing her friend despite finding out that Emily was supposedly taken. But it was the first idea that came to mind.

Gary let out a short laugh. "You're seeing Paige?" She asked, the disbelief evident in her voice.

Emily knew that what Spencer just said worked because Gary withdrew her hand slowly so she decided to go along with it. "Yeah. I am." She answered, meeting Gary's eyes. "Since the holidays. We live in the same town and over the winter break we just started spending a lot of time together and from there things just turned into something more."

"That one I didn't see coming." Gary commented, unable to believe that Emily preferred Paige over her. "I knew she had a thing for you since she was always around but I didn't think you'd settle for someone like her." She added offhandedly with a trace of belittlement in her voice.

Emily fought the urge to lash out at the girl for insulting Paige just now and smiled instead. "Yeah well I'm into her and it's serious." She said, forgetting for a split second that she was merely trying to sell a story to Gary so the girl would leave her alone and that her friend didn't know the truth.

"I guess I have to accept defeat if you claim it's serious." Gary said, to Emily's relief. "I promise to be completely professional from here on out." She added before glancing at the cork board behind her to check something. "So on to the important matters. There's a general assembly Tuesday next week. Around seven in the evening. You're expected to attend so the body can meet you and you can meet the members and your batchmates as well. There's a dress code." Gary continued as she leaned against the edge of the table and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "When I call for a meeting everybody is expected to wear semi-formal attire. We issue warnings if a member fails to comply twice. But the third time could mean suspension of their membership for at least a month. Keep in mind that we groom future leaders not followers. So be aware of how you carry yourself wherever you go. You're a MUSE member now. How you conduct yourself in public reflects on all of us. Are we clear?"

Emily nodded, liking the sound of being called a member of MUSE. And there was no trace of the Gary who was doggedly pursuing her romantically just a few weeks ago. The girl standing in front of her was no doubt the president of MUSE.

"We have your number so in case we need to contact you before Tuesday, either Zach or I will call you. If you don't have any questions we'll see you next week." Gary said before straightening from her position and turning her back to Emily, indirectly telling the girl that their conversation was over.

Emily turned around to leave with Spencer in tow. She couldn't believe her problem with Gary is now solved and that Spencer was the one who came up with a solution that involved Paige.

"Thanks for what you did back there." Emily finally said when she and her friend were finally outside the building. She felt like she could breathe easy now.

"Have you eaten? We should grab a late lunch or something to celebrate." Spencer suggested, smiling at her friend.

"Yeah. My treat." Emily offered before taking out her phone from inside her shoulder bag to text Paige. She wanted to spend time with her friend now that they seem to be on good terms again and she was hoping Paige would understand.

"Oh. By the way, you better give Paige a heads up when you get the chance. I did my part so now it's up to you and her to sell the story to Gary that the two of you are dating." Spencer said, laughing. "You might have to practice being her girlfriend though."

"Yeah." Emily uttered, trying to laugh. She couldn't bring herself to tell Spencer the truth because she had a feeling her friend wouldn't find it funny if the girl found out that what she told Gary was true. And that it didn't start during the holiday season. "So what are you in the mood for?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"Vietnamese." Spencer answered. "There's this restaurant on the corner of Market and Eleventh streets and supposedly the food is great and cheap. We have to take the bus though."

"Lead the way." Emily said gamely and followed Spencer towards the bus stop. While her friend studied the bus schedule, she composed a message to Paige, deciding to talk to the girl about what Spencer told Gary the next time they see each other. For now, she just wanted to say thanks.

_Can't make it to lunch. Spence and I are going to grab some Vietnamese food to celebrate my acceptance into MUSE. Rain check?_

Emily hurriedly sent her text to Paige and walked over to where her friend stood. She looked at her phone again when she felt it vibrate and read Paige's message.

_Sure. Glad the two of you finally made up. And congratulations._

Emily turned her back to Spencer and smiled as she composed a reply.

_I know you talked to her earlier. Spencer let it slip. Thank you. I'll see you later in class._

Emily pressed the send button and pocketed her phone just as the bus arrived, unable to wipe the smile off her lips. She and Spencer were in a good place again and her friend and Paige took a step today towards getting along thanks to the latter's initiative to help her out. It's not huge but she hoped it's a start.

* * *

"Are you _sure_ you're okay with what Spencer told Gary last week?" Paige asked, glancing at Emily before going up the steps that led to the front entrance of Drew Academy.

"Not really." Emily admitted, torn. She still didn't want to risk being seen around campus with Paige frequently since it could reach her mom if someone from Rosewood sees them and she wouldn't hear the end of it but she had no choice. Spencer already told Gary that she and Paige were together. "But it's not like we have to hold hands all the time. Just when Gary's around." She added as she followed Paige inside the school.

It was Monday afternoon and the two girls, along with the rest of the new members of PennPals, were on their way to meet the kids they would be mentoring for the semester. Paige has been asking that question since Friday night knowing Spencer's solution to the problem wasn't something Emily was comfortable with. The girl decided not to go home during the weekend and she and Paige spent Saturday and Sunday talking about what Spencer said, even trying to come up with another solution to the problem but both of them came up empty. Tomorrow night would be the first time that the two girls would have to show Gary that they're together and Paige was giving Emily the chance to back out and think of a possible last-minute solution to her problem when it came to Gary.

"I'm going to have to pick you up from your meetings starting tomorrow." Paige reminded the girl. "But even if Spencer didn't tell Gary you're seeing me I'd still pick you up anyway."

"Yeah. Except without the handholding and not everytime I have a meeting." Emily pointed out wryly.

"True." Paige said, smiling. "So. I was thinking… maybe we could buy some takeout after this before we head to my apartment. And then after dinner I was hoping..."

"Yeah?" Emily asked, biting her bottom lip nervously.

"Do you... want to sleep over again?" Paige asked timidly as they rounded a corner and followed the rest of PennPals' members to the function hall where they would meet the kids.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. Okay." She said, hoping her cheeks weren't turning red. This was the second time that Paige asked her to sleep over and although she was nervous, she really liked falling asleep next to the girl.

"Good." Paige muttered, biting her bottom lip to keep from grinning. Now she couldn't wait for the day to end.

Emily entered the venue before Paige and she moved to the side to let the girl in. The two of them studied the kids seated on the floor looking up at them with wide, eager eyes, wondering which kid they would get to mentor for an entire semester. The thought of spending time with a kid who would undoubtedly look up to them was a little nerve-wracking. But the two girls were keen to experience being an older sister to someone since both of them grew up without a sibling.

"Like we discussed before we left campus this afternoon, all of these kids have already been assigned a mentor." Tristan, the president of PennPals, said as he stood in front of the group. "We've matched these kids to each of you and today we're giving you a chance to meet your pen pal for the semester. They already know which mentor they're assigned to so wear your name tags. We decided to let the kids surprise you this time so we didn't tell you the name of the kid you're going to mentor. They get to approach you so put a smile on those lips and get to know these awesome kids." He said before approaching the guidance counselor and school principal.

"Okay kids. Time for you to approach your mentors." The younger of the two women said encouragingly and the kids all got up to find their mentors.

Paige bounced on the balls of her feet as she waited for a kid to come up to her. She spotted Brian earlier but she didn't know if the boy was paired to her so she kept her fingers crossed, smiling at each kid who passed by.

"I want chocolate ice cream." Paige looked down when she saw Brian's twinkling eyes staring up at her. The boy waved Paige's name in front of her and she fought the urge to pump her fist in the air.

"Not without dinner first." Paige said, trying to sound stern but smiling at the kid affectionately. She leaned forward and hugged Brian. "I was hoping I'd get you as my pen pal." She admitted when she finally pulled away.

"I asked to be included when Reese told me you planned on joining." Brian whispered, his little fingers cupping his mouth as he leaned towards Paige's ear.

"So what do you want to do today?" Paige asked, eager to spend time with the kid. They only had an hour today to get to know the kid they're mentoring and since she already knew Brian, she figured they could start doing something the boy loved instead.

Paige looked around her and smiled when she noticed that all the kids found their mentors and the room was now filled with lively chatter. Her gaze zeroed in on Emily who was now sitting on the floor cross-legged next to a girl with long blonde hair and pink cheeks.

"What?" Paige asked, returning her attention to Brian when she felt the boy pulling eagerly on the sleeve of the blue UPenn sweatshirt she was wearing.

"Are you friends with that pretty girl?" Brian inquired, pointing to Emily briefly.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. I am. We're good friends. Why do you ask?" She said, giving the boy a curious look.

Brian stared at Emily for a few more seconds before looking at Paige again. "If you two are friends then you should spend more time with her. We should go over to her." He insisted.

Paige furrowed her brows, studying the boy. She looked at Emily, then at the little girl sitting next to Emily before looking at Brian again. "What's her name?" She asked gently.

"Sophia." Brian answered, bringing his hands to his face to cover his cheeks.

Paige smiled and crouched so she and the boy were almost on the same eye level. "Do you want to spend time with Sophia today?" She continued.

Brian nodded. "But only if you and your friend are there. Sophia doesn't know me." He confessed. "She might feel weird if it's just the two of us."

"Okay. Come on. Let's go over there." Paige said, taking Brian's hand and getting up.

"Don't tell her I like her!" Brian pleaded, refusing to move from his spot.

"I won't." Paige promised, raising her right hand to swear. "I got your back. We'll just go over there to introduce ourselves to Sophia, then I'll introduce you to my friend, then the four of us can spend time together. Sounds good?"

"Sounds good." Brian repeated and he finally moved, letting Paige lead the way across the room towards Emily and Sophia. "Don't tell Reese and Billie. They're going to make fun of me." He pleaded, looking up at Paige.

"It's our secret then." Paige said, squeezing the boy's hand lightly. "Tell you what. I'll keep yours if you keep mine." She added, stopping in her tracks when she felt like Brian didn't trust that she'd keep his secret.

"Okay." Brian replied, still looking up at the girl.

Paige crouched again and gestured for Brian to move closer to her. "Not many people know this but that pretty girl with Sophia isn't just my friend. We like each other a lot." She whispered conspiratorially. "So I don't mind spending time with her and Sophia. It's win-win for both of us." Paige continued in her normal voice before getting up again.

"Are you two like Reese and Billie?" Brian asked curiously.

Paige laughed. "Probably not. But we're getting there." She admitted.

"Well get there sooner before someone else does. She's really, really pretty. You have good taste." Brian commented, grinning.

"Back at ya. Sophia's really, really pretty too." Paige said, tousling Brian's hair affectionately. She gave Emily a smile when the girl looked up and saw them approaching. _Yeah. She's really, really pretty_. Paige thought, her heart hammering when Emily gave her a smile in return that showed off the girl's dimples.

* * *

Paige didn't know how long they've been making out on the couch but she wasn't complaining. Right this very second she wished she lived in a vacuum world and that she didn't need air because she didn't want to stop kissing Emily just to breathe. She couldn't quite remember how they got there actually. But after leaving Drew Academy earlier, she remembered that Emily suggested that they swing by Mix to buy pizza for their dinner tonight before heading back to her apartment and she agreed. They've barely finished their first slice when she noticed that Emily had some tomato sauce on the corner of her mouth so she used her thumb to wipe it off, the girl smiled... and then her lips were on Emily's.

_And they've never left it since then_. Paige thought as she shifted from her position on top of Emily, her right leg sliding in between the girl's. She began to leave a trail of soft kisses along Emily's neck, giving them the chance to come up for air before finding each other's lips again. Paige felt Emily's lips curl into a smile and she returned to kissing the girl's neck, sucking on Emily's pulse point.

"I think we're breaking our own record for longest make out." Emily commented breathlessly.

"Do you want to stop?" Paige asked as she moved to kiss the girl's collarbone.

"No." Emily managed to say before Paige's lips captured hers again. She plunged her tongue deep into the other girl's mouth when Paige parted her lips and she slowly moved her arms, tangling her hands in the girl's soft hair.

Paige was all too aware of Emily's hands on her hair and the feel of the girl's body underneath her and for the first time she felt herself starting to lose the battle with her hormones. Her hand, the one resting lightly on top of Emily's thigh, began to travel upwards; slowly making its way to the hem of Emily's top and Paige's heart began to hammer wildly. Her brain wasn't functioning anymore. She was moving on autopilot and all she knew was that she wanted Emily. _Bad_. Paige heard herself moan when Emily deepened their kiss and she began to gently lift the girl's top. Her hand slowly made its way under Emily's shirt and when her palm made contact with the girl's warm skin, Paige pressed her body closer to Emily's.

"Paige..." Emily whispered when she felt the girl's palm on her stomach. She disentangled one hand from Paige's hair, her breathing ragged as she moved her hand to the hem of her shirt to stop the girl from going further.

Hearing her name escape from Emily's lips pushed Paige one step closer to losing all pretense of not wanting to do more tonight and she slowly moved her hand further up the girl's shirt, stopping just below Emily's breasts.

"Stop." Emily uttered, a familiar feeling of panic overcoming her. When she felt Paige's fingers graze her bra, Emily uttered the first thing that came to mind. "Jai, stop it."

Paige's eyes snapped open the second she heard her best friend's name and she quickly pulled back to put some distance between her and Emily, getting up into a sitting position before finally deciding to stand up instead.

"I'm sorry." Emily began when she realized what she just said, surprised by the words that came out of her mouth. She got up into a sitting position and tried to fix her top, pulling on the hem of her shirt repeatedly.

"It's fine. It was getting intense anyway." Paige said, her breathing quickly returning to normal as she shook her head.

Emily finally met Paige's eyes and stood up, her brain trying to find the words to explain what just happened. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to call you Jai. I just wanted you to stop and the last time that happened I was with Jai and..."

Paige swallowed hard. Emily was making things worse by saying Jai's name repeatedly. "Em, you don't have to explain. It's fine. It worked. Make out session has been put on stop." She hurriedly interrupted.

They stood in heavy silence, just staring at each other, at a loss as to what to do next but Paige was certain they wouldn't be doing anymore kissing tonight.

"You know what? It's getting late. And I remembered that I have this paper that I need to start working on." Paige said, averting her eyes from Emily. She grabbed her laptop from the coffee table and carried it towards the kitchen countertop. "You should go to sleep. You have an early class tomorrow." She reminded the girl, still not meeting Emily's eyes as she busied herself with plugging the adaptor on the electrical outlet to charge her laptop.

"Paige, I'm really sorry." Emily repeated, willing for the girl to look at her.

"It's fine." Paige said dismissively. She walked past Emily and headed for the coffee table again, pretending to pore through her books that was scattered on the surface of the table.

"No it isn't. It's weird." Emily pointed out, refusing to let the matter drop.

Paige sighed. "Em... please. I don't want to talk about it, okay?" She pleaded, finally looking at the girl.

Emily bit her bottom lip, not knowing how to clean up the mess she just made. She didn't want to sleep in Paige's bed knowing things between them just went from hot to cold in a matter of seconds.

"I'll... um." Emily began, her voice hoarse. "I think I'll go back to Harrison. Sleep there tonight." She finally said. She looked around for her things and walked towards the kitchen countertop when she saw her jacket lying on top of her bag. "My class is nearer there anyway." She continued, her hands trembling as she waited for Paige to stop her. When the other girl didn't, Emily finally made her way towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked, her throat constricting as she opened the door to leave.

Paige nodded. "Yeah." She answered quietly, looking away.

"Okay. Goodnight." Emily uttered, walking outside and closing the door behind her.

Emily leaned against it for a second, hoping Paige would open the door and ask her to stay. But she was quick to realize that those scenarios only happen in movies when she heard the lock click on the other side, the noise it made reaching her ears with resounding finality.

It wasn't fine. Things between her and Paige weren't fine. Emily knew she just screwed up. She hurt Paige's feelings by uttering Jai's name by mistake. The girl didn't stop her from leaving and while she understood that Paige wanted to be left alone, Emily was terrified that the next time they see each other... it would be the last.


	22. sic infit : chapter xii

**DISCLAIMER:** _Pretty Little Liars_ and all its characters is the intellectual property of others. Some characters used in the writing of this fic belong to PLL. Events that transpire, will transpire and have transpired in this story are entirely of my own creation.

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_**Thanks for the reviews!**_

_**EyeOpener16, ScriptedLullabies and Nae10... Thanks for the PM.**_

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**PART TWO: "Sic Infit"**

_~ So it begins. ~_

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**CHAPTER TWELVE**

_Seven Months Ago..._

Paige parked her father's car on a parking slot near the front entrance of a well-kept building and switched off the engine before she unbuckled her seatbelt. For a while she just sat there in silence, contemplating whether or not to head inside. She glanced at the passenger seat and a wave of sadness hit her. She wasn't supposed to be here by herself. She agreed to cover Jai's route until her friend returned from London so she was supposed to be sitting here now with Jai next to her, making plans for what to do afterwards before going in.

Coming to this place was something she never would've thought to do if not for Jai's influence when they were kids. A few months after she left the hospital, Jai introduced her to the Aid For Friends organization because her friend thought it would be a good idea for her to interact with more people. Paige decided to give it a try so she went with Jai and Logan one Sunday morning to this place. The local church near the Hayes' old house where they would pick up frozen dinners and deliver them to houses around the Philadelphia area where shut-in individuals resided. Pretty soon she found herself delivering food with Jai once a week with Logan acting as their designated driver. But once they got their own junior driver's license they did the rounds by themselves, going to various places around Philly afterwards. Going here was something she looked forward to doing with her friend again once Jai returned from London. But that's never going to happen again.

Paige could've stopped coming here after the tragedy. But she couldn't because she knew Jai wouldn't want that. The people they've been helping came first before her grief and this was her way of continuing one of her friend's philanthropies so she kept showing up on weekends. Even if she was alone.

Before Jai left for London, her friend suggested that she invite Emily to come along for this. Of course she vehemently opposed the idea. Even after things between her and Jai's girlfriend changed, Paige still didn't bother to invite Emily. Because there are just some things that she wanted to do with her best friend. No matter how much she wanted to spend time with Emily, this was her and Jai's thing. Not that it mattered now anyway. Because Jai's dead and Emily's in Miami. She was doing this by herself.

Paige took a deep breath and finally alighted from the car, locking the doors before making her way up the steps towards the church. She pulled open the heavy wooden door and made her way to the kitchen in the back of the building where the frozen foods for the shut-ins were kept. She had twice the number of people to visit ever since she covered Jai's route so she knew she had a long day ahead of her.

"Hey Claire, Nathan!" Paige called out in greeting, giving the husband and wife volunteers standing behind the kitchen counter a smile as she approached them.

"Paige." Nathan uttered, smiling in return. He looked past the girl for a second before returning his attention to Paige. "Sorry. It's been three months but I keep forgetting that she's gone."

Paige nodded. "I know the feeling." She admitted, pocketing her car keys when she stopped in front of the couple.

"I still can't believe she was taken from us at such a young age. And so tragically." Claire commented as she busied herself with preparing the meals Paige would deliver. "Jasmine was a blessing to a lot of people. I really wish that crash didn't happen so she could continue changing lives."

Paige pinched the corners of her mouth with her thumb and middle finger. She didn't know how to respond to what Claire just said so she chose to slightly veer the topic off her friend's passing instead. "Um... I don't know if Jason informed you." She began, referring to one of the other volunteers in charge of food distribution. "But I've been taking over Jai's route since she left for London. Now that..." She trailed off, unable to say the words out loud. "I decided to cover her route until I start college in the fall." Paige finally continued.

"Oh. Jason forgot to mention that. But it's not a problem. We'll prepare the ones in Jasmine's route as well." Nathan said, looking around for the list of people to add to Paige's route. "It might take some time though so you can just wait by the lobby. I'll be right out."

Paige nodded and walked back the way she came, running a hand through her hair wearily. It was bad enough that she missed doing this with Jai. People looking for her friend whenever they see her wasn't helping matters. She sat on one of the couches facing the front entrance and closed her eyes, waiting for Nathan and the meals she would have to deliver for the rest of the day. Her eyes snapped open when she suddenly heard laughter and saw some of the neighborhood kids she and Jai have gotten close to running around the lobby.

"Hey! You're here again! Is Jai with you this time?" A boy with a chipped tooth asked, looking around the room curiously. "I was hoping to show her something really cool."

Paige leaned forward, ready to lie again. She still didn't know how to tell the kids that her best friend is dead. "No. Jai still couldn't make it." She answered, giving the boy an apologetic smile. "But maybe you could show it to me instead so I can tell her all about it when I see her."

The boy studied Paige thoughtfully. "Nah. It has to be Jai." He finally decided before running outside, his friends not too far behind.

Paige watched the kids for a few seconds before getting up. _Everyone wants Jai_. She thought, deciding to head back inside the kitchen despite knowing that Claire and Nathan would talk to her about Jai again. But that's better than sitting outside and agreeing to random people when they stop to tell her that they miss Jai too.

It wasn't news to her. She should've gotten used to it. Ever since her friend left for London, all people asked whenever they see her is where Jai is, how she's doing, when she's coming back. The shut-ins she's been delivering food to in Jai's route don't even know her name and just refer to her as 'Jasmine's friend' or 'that girl who drives around with Jasmine'. It was understandable. It wasn't like she established a bond with these people the way Jai did. Her friend just had a way of reaching out to people and touching their lives. It was understandable that they would look for her. But it still hurt.

* * *

_Present Day..._

Paige took a deep breath before shifting from her position in the driver's seat of her car. She had been sitting there for more than an hour now and her ass was starting to hurt. But she couldn't bring herself to get out just yet.

Last night, hearing Emily call her Jai was something she never expected. Sure she knew at the back of her mind that the girl still loves her best friend. That Emily still isn't over Jai. And maybe she never will be. But she didn't think Emily thought about Jai when they were together. She tried to ignore it. The truth that she was competing with her best friend for Emily's affection even if Jai is gone. But what happened last night made her realize that she couldn't ignore it anymore.

So this morning she woke up thinking that she had to let Emily go. Tell the girl that she's walking away. Emily told her right from the start that the girl wasn't ready but she wanted to give their relationship a try so she asked Emily to consider it. It's her fault she's in this mess. She had to do the right thing and end things.

That was what Paige decided on before she left her apartment. But when she parked in a spot that hid her presence yet still gave her a clear view of Emily, she began to rethink her decision. She arrived just in time to see the girl emerge from inside the building where Emily's first class was but instead of meeting the girl, she just sat in her car, waiting to see what Emily would do when she doesn't show up.

Paige leaned forward and gripped the steering wheel with both hands, trying to decide. Her eyes fell on the dashboard clock of her car and she sighed. Emily's class had been over for more than an hour now and the girl should've gone to Café Prima to start her shift. But instead Emily sat on one of the two benches in the pathway beside Hayden Hall, glancing at her watch every few seconds. And Paige knew the girl was waiting.

_For who?_ Paige thought, staring at the blue UPenn jacket that was lying on the passenger seat of her car. She remembered the night Emily came over to her house to give it to her. The day they graduated. Paige was so happy when Emily handed it to her and said that she was looking forward to going to UPenn with her that Paige didn't even ask how and why Emily had another jacket... a complement of the red one she was wearing that night.

Paige didn't realize it until last night. When Emily left and she went to her bedroom and saw her blue UPenn jacket thrown haphazardly on the bed. _Jai's blue UPenn jacket_. Paige corrected herself bitterly. Not hers. The jacket was Jai's. It never belonged to her. Just like Emily still belonged to Jai.

Once she unbuckled her seatbelt, Paige grabbed the jacket and threw it on the backseat before she opened the door and got out of her car. She walked a few steps and stood across the street, finally deciding to show herself to Emily. She was still at a loss as to what to do next. She wasn't ready to give up. But she didn't know how to get past what happened.

* * *

Even without looking at her watch, Emily knew that another hour passed when she noticed the sudden influx of students rushing past her, in a hurry to get to their next class or be somewhere else that isn't here. But she wasn't one of those students. Because her next class wasn't until this afternoon and it's with Paige.

_Paige_. The girl was the reason why she hasn't moved from her spot for the past hour. She was supposed to be at the Café by now. But when she emerged from her Stat101 lab class and saw that Paige wasn't there to pick her up, Emily decided to call in sick and just sat on a bench outside Hayden Hall, waiting until Paige arrived. She tried to tell herself that the girl was just running late. Paige couldn't have forgotten. They swapped class schedules just last week. But then again maybe Paige misplaced hers. So she checked her phone several times to see if Paige replied to one of her texts or finally returned her calls but the girl didn't do either of those things. When thirty minutes passed and there was still no sign of the girl, Emily told herself to get up and walk back to Harrison. But she just sat there, stubbornly waiting.

Emily blinked her eyes rapidly when her vision blurred. She didn't want people to look at her and wonder why she was crying. She lowered her head and subtly wiped the corner of her eyes, pretending that there was a speck of dust that got into an eye just now.

_She's not going to show up_. Emily finally forced herself to accept the reality and with a heavy heart, gathered her things and slowly got up to leave. That's when she saw Paige standing across the street, looking at her. And Emily choked back a sob when the girl gave her a small, tentative wave.

Emily hurriedly crossed the street, fighting the urge to run towards the girl for fear that Paige would disappear if she got there a second too late. She thought she would feel relieved when the girl finally showed up. But now she realized that she didn't know what it meant and that made her scared. Maybe things between them were over, maybe they're not. She couldn't tell. But Paige showing up gave her a chance to convince the girl not to end things between them.

"Hey." Emily uttered when she was finally standing in front of the girl. She struggled to control her tears and gripped her things closer to her chest. Like they could protect her from what was about to come.

"Hey." Paige repeated quietly.

"I'm _so_ sorry about last night." Emily continued. "Can we go somewhere we can talk? Please?" She implored.

Paige wordlessly stared at the girl and felt her resolve to end things between them crumble when she heard the fear in Emily's voice. Watching the girl wait for her made her realize that she wasn't ready to give up on them just yet.

"Paige." Emily whispered, taking another step closer to the girl. "Please." She repeated.

Paige finally nodded and led the way back to her car. She unlocked the doors and made her way to the passenger side to open the door for Emily before she realized what she did. She opened her mouth to apologize, ready to hear Emily reprimand her with a single word she was all too familiar with, but she stopped short when the girl just walked past her and wordlessly got inside. Paige closed the door and walked over to the driver's side, trying to process what just happened. Maybe things between them were starting to change. She just didn't know which direction they're headed and if they're going down the same path or about to go their separate ways.

* * *

"Are you so cold that you need to wear two jackets?" Emily asked in an effort to lighten the mood between them when they alighted from the car once Paige parked it in Kaskey Park.

Emily waited for the girl to wear the blue UPenn jacket she gave Paige the night they graduated from high school but the girl just placed the jacket on the hood of the car and slid it to her.

"I'm returning this." Paige said without any trace of amusement in her voice.

Emily stared at the jacket, then at the girl. She didn't know if this was Paige's way of ending things between them. Giving back every single thing they gave each other. Because if it was, there really wasn't much to return and the jacket doesn't count. They weren't seeing each other when she gave it to Paige.

"But why? I gave that to you." Emily reminded the girl.

Paige ran a hand through her hair, frustrated. "But it wasn't for me. Was it?" She guessed, meeting Emily's confused look. "When you came over to my house that night, you just left the party."

"Yeah. I went back to my house first to get my yearbook and the jacket." Emily replied, wondering where Paige was going with this.

"Back then I didn't think too much about it. I was happy that you came by to tell me you were sorry. That you cared. And that you were looking forward to spending time with me here in UPenn that I didn't pay attention to it." Paige continued, her gaze drifting to the jacket. "You were already wearing a red UPenn hoodie that night. So unless you really love owning UPenn merchandise, that jacket was supposed to be for Jai. Wasn't it?"

"Yeah. It was." Emily answered, not getting why the girl was bringing it up now.

Paige looked away. "That's why I'm returning it to you. I don't want it." She added bitterly.

Emily stared at Paige for a second, now realizing that the reason the girl brought up the jacket was because of her slip up last night. She reached for the hoodie, deciding to take it back. "Paige... the night I came over to your house and gave you this jacket I was just trying to fix things between us." She explained gently. "I didn't give this to you hoping you will magically turn into Jai afterwards. I wasn't trying to bring her back. I didn't intentionally give this to you to make you feel like I want you to be Jai nor do I see her everytime I see you wearing this."

Paige finally met Emily's eyes but didn't say anything so the girl continued.

"You can't be mad at me for something I did without malice. It's not like I knew back then that months from that night, the simple gesture I made was going to be an issue between us." Emily pointed out. "It's not like I thought, '_hey, here's a really great way for you to screw up even more when you fall for Paige a few months from today: why don't you give her this jacket you bought for Jai and make things harder to mend between you two 'cos saying Jai's name accidentally while you two were kissing isn't bad enough._'" She continued, giving Paige a helpless look. "Yeah I bought this jacket for Jai. I'm not gonna deny that. I wanted to give this to her when she came back from London. But this didn't belong to her. The night I came over to your house I was just trying to fix things between us." She repeated earnestly. "It was a peace offering after I hurt your feelings. But now I don't have anything to offer." Emily continued. "Taking this back isn't enough. So tell me what I should do to make things better. Because I know I hurt your feelings last night. Please stop saying it's fine because it wasn't."

Paige nodded. "Yeah. It hurt. And I was really surprised. But what happened last night reminded me of something." She admitted, leaning her hip against the car.

"What?" Emily asked anxiously.

"That this." Paige began, pointing to Emily then to herself. "Whatever this is, still involves Jai. I was reminded that I practically begged you to consider starting something with me the first time you kissed me even when you made it clear that you still love Jai. And that it will always be her." She added faintly. "I guess up until last night I was still in denial. I was convinced that if I was patient enough maybe you'd finally let yourself love again. Feel something for me."

"I _do_ feel something for you." Emily insisted, fighting the urge to close the distance between them and take Paige's hand.

"But it's not enough to make you forget about Jai." Paige pointed out. "You still think about her."

"Do you want me to forget?" Emily asked quietly.

"I just don't want you to keep thinking about her anymore. Is that too much to ask?" Paige said in reply.

Emily swallowed hard. "Yeah. Right now it is." She admitted despite knowing that the girl could decide to end things between them now. "Paige... I don't think of Jai when we're kissing. But I can't help it when my thoughts drift to her sometimes. When I see or hear something that reminds me of her. I know she isn't coming back. But I still need time." She implored, trying to make the girl understand. "I know I'm being selfish but being with you feels really good. This. Whatever this is... I don't want it to end. Were you about to end it?"

"I was. On my way to pick you up I decided I was going to put an end to it." Paige confessed.

"But?" Emily urged, her voice hoarse.

"But when I saw you waiting for me... I realized I can't walk away just yet." Paige continued.

"Then don't. I just need more time." Emily pleaded. "I promise it won't happen again. Can you still be patient with me?" She asked anxiously.

Paige nodded. She studied the girl for a second, contemplating whether to ask _that_ question. Emily might be uncomfortable with it but they needed to talk about it. "Em. About what happened last night. I'm sorry." She said earnestly.

Emily shook her head. "It's fine." She replied, trying to hide her uneasiness. She knew Paige wanted to ask about her behavior last night but she wasn't ready to talk about it.

"No. It's not." Paige insisted. "You know I would never pressure you to do something you're not ready to do."

"I know." Emily affirmed.

"Did Jai pressure you?" Paige suddenly asked. She couldn't believe her friend might do something like that but she was trying to figure out Emily's behavior. "Sorry. I know it's none of my business but the way you reacted when I tried to get to second base. Did she?..."

"No." Emily answered hurriedly. "Jai was extremely patient with me. She understood. If she didn't we wouldn't have lasted for three years. But we've never... she and I..."

Paige shook her head firmly. "You don't have to explain." She interjected when she realized what Emily was trying to say. "I get it. I just wanted to know so I won't step out of line again."

"So... clean slate?" Emily asked nervously.

Paige stared at the girl for a few seconds, trying to decide. "Clean slate." She finally repeated, wondering if there was such a thing.

* * *

"Newbie I know I said last week that I'm impressed that you managed to maintain your time from last semester despite the holiday season. But I never said anything about slowing down to match the rest of the team's. What gives?" Reese asked, studying her friend.

"Just a little tired." Paige answered vaguely. "Didn't get much sleep last night."

After track practice that afternoon, Reese called over the girl while the rest of their teammates headed inside the locker room to change. Coach Steve noticed Paige's lackluster performance earlier and told Reese to talk to her teammate before he does so now the junior team captain was trying to save her friend the trip to their coach's office by asking what's bothering the girl.

"Well go to bed early starting tonight. We have our first indoor track meet this Saturday and Coach Steve wants to make sure that you're ready. He noticed your time today." Reese admitted.

_Great_. Paige thought. The one time she needed her coach not to pay attention to her was the day she was having problems in her relationship with Emily. "Don't worry. I'll be ready before Saturday." She promised.

"Did you and Emily get into another fight? Is that the reason why you didn't get much sleep?" Reese asked, choosing to ignore what Paige just said. The girl's performance won't improve if there was something bothering her and Reese knew that.

"Sort of." Paige finally answered after staying silent for a few seconds. "I'm not telling you about what." She continued when Reese kept staring at her.

"But you two are still fighting." Reese guessed.

"We're not fighting." Paige replied, shaking her head. She held Reese's worried look and sighed. "I don't know." She admitted reluctantly.

"Paige... if you can't talk to me about it, find someone you can. Kayla?" Reese suggested.

Paige shook her head again. "I can't. I can't talk to her or Logan about it because it's about Emily. And Jai. And me." She explained, frowning.

"Our team has a sports therapist." Reese reminded the girl when she heard Logan's name. Kayla mentioned to her in passing a few months ago what the girl's father did for a living and hearing Paige consider talking to Logan just now made Reese think that the girl was used to seeking professional help. "You can talk to her about anything. Not just sports. I've seen her a couple of times." She admitted to encourage Paige to see the doctor.

"What, you didn't know how to handle the power of being team captain without your teammates worshiping the ground you walk on?" Paige asked teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Among other things, yeah." Reese answered good-naturedly. "Just give it a try, newbie." She added, getting serious again. "Come on. Let's go hit the showers."

"Um, you go ahead. I'm gonna run a few more laps." Paige decided, gesturing vaguely to the indoor track lanes behind her.

Reese nodded. "Suit yourself. But be careful. I don't want you messing up your knee so close to Saturday. Coach Steve will have both of our heads on a platter if that happens." She reminded the girl. "Just focus on the field. Not Emily Fields."

Paige felt her mouth open in astonishment. "Good one. How long did you work on that?" She asked, chuckling.

"Few weeks. Maybe a month." Reese answered, shrugging. "I'm serious. Be careful."

Paige raised her right hand. "Yeah. I will." She promised.

When Reese disappeared behind the door leading to the locker room, Paige headed for the start line. She took a deep breath and got into position, imagining the gun start in her head and taking off. She gradually increased her pace and tried to clear her mind of Emily Fields but she knew it was futile. Not when what was keeping her going is her desire to run away from the situation she was in.

* * *

Emily sat on the long table of MUSE, trying to remain inconspicuous despite being by herself. The general assembly meeting has been over close to two hours now and most of the members have gone home for the night. With the exception of her, the handful of students left seated around the table were mostly upperclassmen who stayed behind to discuss a few things with Gary and the other officers of MUSE. Emily was tempted to get up and go home but she didn't want to call attention to herself and she was waiting for Paige to arrive. She told the girl last week that her first GA was tonight. And yesterday Paige even pointed it out while they were on their way to meet the kids in Drew Academy so the girl didn't forget it. But after what happened last night maybe it slipped Paige's mind. Although they agreed to a clean slate, they barely talked when they were in their classes that afternoon and she didn't want to bring it up after her slip up so now she didn't know if she should keep waiting for Paige or just go home.

"We'll see you next week." Emily glanced to her right when she heard Gary bid farewell to the junior students who stayed behind. Now that the older members have left, it was just her and the officers of MUSE. She looked away, pretending to read the book that she opened to a random page once the meeting was adjourned. There was no way she would go unnoticed now. She was sticking out like a sore thumb. The officers were huddled on the far side of the long table while she was on the other end. Alone.

"Do you need a ride?" Emily looked up when she heard Gary's voice and saw the girl standing next to her. She glanced past Gary and realized that other than Zach, the other officers have gone home. It was just the three of them.

"I'm only offering 'cos Zach and I live in Radian." Gary explained, referring to the expensive apartment building on Walnut Street. "That's why we carpool when we go to meetings. We can give you a ride to Harrison. It's along the way."

"Um... thanks but I'll pass. Paige is picking me up any minute now." Emily answered while she fought the sinking feeling that she's walking home by herself. "You and Zach go ahead."

Gary let out a short laugh. "We can't exactly leave you here alone." She pointed out. "Is Paige usually this late picking you up? Maybe she forgot."

Emily shook her head firmly. "She didn't. She's just running late tonight." She said, trying not to sound insistent.

"I'll say. The meeting's been over for almost two hours. She must be doing something that's more important than you if she's this late." Gary commented. She studied Emily for a second before deciding to take a seat next to the girl. "How are things between the two of you?" She continued. "You seem distracted during the meeting. That's why I'm asking."

"I just have a lot of things on my mind tonight." Emily explained. "I thought you promised to be strictly professional when it comes to me?" She asked, trying to hide the anxiety out of her voice.

Gary nodded, moving a little away from the girl. "I did. Doesn't mean my attraction towards you is gone." She pointed out. "It's hard not to pay attention to you. But that doesn't mean I'm going back to pursuing you. You're one of us now. I'm just concerned. And you didn't answer my question. How are things between you and Paige?"

"They're good." Emily and Gary turned around at the same time when they heard Paige's voice behind them. Emily inwardly let out a sigh of relief when she saw the girl standing there.

"Great, actually." Paige added coolly as she sauntered over to the two girls until she was close enough to place a hand on Emily's shoulder. She lost track of time training and when she finally stopped, she realized she was supposed to pick up Emily from her meeting tonight. She tried calling a few times but she couldn't reach the girl so she drove here in the off chance that Emily was still waiting for her.

"Ready to go?" Paige asked, looking at the raven-haired girl.

Emily nodded wordlessly and stood up, grabbing her things from the table but Paige stopped her.

"I got it." Paige offered, taking Emily's bag and placing it over her shoulder before carrying the girl's books in one hand. She then used her other hand to take Emily's hand in hers. "I would really appreciate it if you stopped hitting on my girlfriend every chance you get." She said stonily, glaring at the girl still seated on the bench.

Gary raised her hands defensively. "I wasn't. Ask her. I was just offering to give her a ride since Zach and I were headed home and I didn't want to leave her here by herself." She explained, getting up. "_I_ know she's your girlfriend now. Do you? Or do you need to be reminded of it?" She asked, sizing up the girl. "_Emily's your girlfriend now_. Why don't you take better care of her and show up on time?"

"Paige, come on. Let's go." Emily interjected, gripping the girl's hand to stop her from taking a step closer to Gary. The last thing Emily needed was to jeopardize her membership and that could happen if Paige started a fight with the president of MUSE with Zach watching.

Paige held Gary's gaze, glaring one last time at the girl before letting Emily lead her away. She took a deep breath to calm herself and finally led the way towards her car, now aware that she was holding the girl's hand. When she was sure that Gary couldn't see them anymore, she released Emily's hand, for some reason uncomfortable with touching the girl.

Emily studied Paige out of the corner of her eye. They were still together. And they agreed to show that to Gary. But when Paige picked her up, she didn't feel like they were together. She felt like Paige was just pretending for Gary's sake.

"Thanks for picking me up." Emily finally said, trying to start a conversation between them. "I thought you forgot about tonight." She admitted.

"I lost track of time running. I have an indoor track meet on Saturday so I'm trying to bring my times down." Paige explained. "Were you about to accept a ride from Gary?" She asked, not meeting Emily's eyes.

"No. I told her to go ahead. Then once she and Zach leave I was planning to walk home by myself." Emily answered, wishing the girl would look at her.

Paige unlocked the doors and followed Emily to the passenger side. She waited until the girl was seated before handing her books and bag. "I tried to call you several times but I couldn't reach you." She said, still not looking at Emily.

"My phone died. I forgot to charge it before I left Harrison for the meeting tonight. Sorry." Emily uttered, fidgeting with the strap of her shoulder bag.

"It's fine. I just wanted to let you know that I didn't forget. I tried calling to tell you I was running late." Paige explained, aware that her tone sounded defensive. She stepped back to close the door but the girl stopped her.

Emily swallowed hard and leaned forward to kiss Paige but the girl moved at the last second so her lips ended up kissing air.

Paige cleared her throat. "We're in public." She reminded Emily, using their sneaking around as an excuse despite the place being deserted. "We should get going. It's late and Spencer might be wondering where you are." She added before closing the door.

Emily kept her gaze on Paige and watched as the girl walked in front of the car to head to the driver's seat. They were supposed to be working on getting past what happened. But she didn't know how she could fix things between them when Paige was obviously reluctant to touch her.

* * *

"How was it?" Spencer asked eagerly when Emily entered their room. "How was your first GA as a MUSE member?" She continued, turning around in her chair to face her friend.

Emily gently closed the door behind her and walked over to her bed without looking at Spencer. "Good. I met most of the members and my batchmates but we didn't have much time to get to know each other since the meeting was entirely devoted to MARC." She replied as she busied herself with grabbing a change of clothes from her dresser drawer. "We just agreed to grab lunch or dinner later this week."

"Gary give you a hard time?" Spencer continued, turning her back to the girl to return to the book she was reading. "Em?" She uttered, turning around again when she didn't hear a reply.

"Um, no. She didn't." Emily finally answered absentmindedly as she stared at the gray UPenn track and field shirt on top of the pile of shirts inside her dresser and felt her throat constrict. She grabbed the shirt underneath it and a pair of sweatpants before finally closing her drawer. "She barely talked to me actually. Except after the meeting when it was just us and Zach." She continued, turning around to face her friend.

"Wait, why didn't you leave once the meeting was over?" Spencer asked, giving her friend a confused look.

Emily sat on the edge of her bed and busied herself with taking off the black strappy sandals she was wearing. She dreaded answering Spencer's question knowing her friend still didn't like Paige. She unbuttoned her camel-colored blazer before untucking her white silk top, running her hand through her hair warily.

"I was waiting for Paige to pick me up." Emily finally admitted when she felt her friend's eyes on her. "We figured Gary should see us acting like a couple to sell the story so I was waiting for her to give me a ride back here."

"And she's late. Of course." Spencer commented, shaking her head.

"She just lost track of time. She was training since she has a meet this Saturday." Emily explained hurriedly. "The important thing is that Gary was there when Paige arrived so she saw us together."

"Well tell your pseudo-girlfriend to get her act together. Gary may believe you two are dating but if she sees that Paige isn't taking good care of you I think she won't hesitate to swoop in and save the day." Spencer pointed out. "If you need to coach the girl on how to act like a good girlfriend, do it. It's not like Paige was ever serious with a girl before."

"Paige doesn't need coaching." Emily said, getting up when her vision blurred. "I'm gonna take a shower." She added before grabbing her bath towel and heading for the bathroom.

Once she was inside, Emily locked the door and turned on the shower. But instead of taking off her clothes and jumping in, she just sat on the cover of the flush toilet, finally letting her tears fall.

"_I'm sorry_." Emily whispered brokenly, covering her mouth with the towel she was holding to muffle her sobs. She wished saying those words repeatedly would make things right between her and Paige but she knew it wasn't enough.

* * *

Paige anxiously entered her Managerial Economics class on Wednesday morning, steeling herself to spending an hour seated next to Emily. They weren't fighting so there was no reason to sit apart. But she couldn't bring herself to be near the girl. She let her eyes wander to the third row where she and Emily usually sat and saw that the girl was already there, too engrossed in a book to notice her. Paige slowly made her way to her seat, her pulse racing for several reasons.

"Hey." Paige said in greeting once she was standing over the girl.

Emily looked up, pretending to be surprised. Like she wasn't watching the door earlier and saw Paige enter the room. "Hey." She repeated. She watched the girl take a seat next to her and gave Paige a strained smile before going back to pretending she was reading her book.

"What's wrong with you?" Paige asked, her eyes never leaving the girl.

"What do you mean?" Emily said in reply, not bothering to look at Paige.

"I mean... your eyes look bloodshot and puffy." Paige clarified.

Emily swallowed hard. "Oh. Um, I stayed up late last night. Reading." She lied, pointing to the open book in front of her. "I slept around two in the morning so my eyes hurt a bit."

"Wow. That must be some book." Paige commented, leaning towards the girl to check the cover. "This better contain short stories or you're officially a geek."

Emily grabbed Paige's hand to stop the girl from reading the title. "But you said you think geeks are hot." She reminded the girl, pretending to be offended.

The gesture made Paige inhale sharply and she quickly withdrew her hand from Emily's when she felt the girl's warm skin on hers. "Sorry." She blurted out when she saw the flash of hurt on the girl's face.

Emily shook her head and gave Paige a forced grin. "It's fine. I understand." She said before turning the page on her book and staring at it. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and told herself not to cry again. It won't solve anything.

Paige's gaze lingered on Emily, aware that behind that grin and that upbeat behavior, the girl was hurting just like her. "Do you have plans for lunch?" She asked before she changed her mind.

Emily turned her head to look at the girl, surprised. They haven't spent time together since they talked yesterday morning but it felt like they've been separated for weeks.

"No. I don't." Emily answered, her voice hoarse.

"In that case... want to split a Hawaiian pizza back in my apartment?" Paige suggested.

"Yeah. Yeah I'd like that." Emily admitted, a small smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. "I'll come over after my shift at the Café and I'll bring the pizza." She offered, trying not to seem too eager to spend time with Paige. "Um... it's a date then?" She asked, biting her bottom lip anxiously.

"It's a date." Paige repeated despite suddenly wanting to back out at the thought of being alone with the girl.

* * *

"Sorry." Emily uttered for the tenth time when she accidentally brushed her arm against Paige's. She stooped down to pick up the tissue she dropped on the floor, feeling her cheeks redden in embarrassment.

The two girls were seated on Paige's couch, eating the pizza Emily brought for lunch. The anxiety Paige felt earlier about being alone with the girl increased tenfold once she heard the knock on the door and when she let Emily in, the room was immediately filled with awkward tension. They sat on the couch several inches away from each other but they still ended up bumping elbows and brushing arms and Emily kept apologizing while Paige kept flinching.

"It's fine." Paige said, quickly grabbing the tissue when she saw that it was near her feet. She placed it on the coffee table away from the pizza and subtly glanced at the time on her watch.

Although it felt like they've been eating lunch for more than an hour, only twenty minutes have passed and they couldn't even finish their first slice. She and Emily barely spoke a word to each other and the hosts of a cooking contest on TV were the only people talking in the room. The so-called date wasn't going well. Paige reached for the pizza she was eating and took a small bite, studying the girl seated next to her out of the corner of her eye.

Emily continued wiping the hot sauce off her jacket, aware that Paige was looking at her but she couldn't meet the girl's eyes. She wanted to kiss Paige the second the girl opened the door but before she could, Paige stepped aside to let her in. She looked up when a clean tissue suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Thanks." Emily said, accepting the tissue and making sure that her fingers don't brush the girl's. At this point, not touching Paige was better than touching Paige and seeing the girl flinch every single time. "It's not coming off. I'll just go to the bathroom to wash this." She decided, standing up.

Emily didn't wait for Paige to acknowledge what she said nor did she look at the girl before leaving the room. She locked the door behind her once she was inside and took off her jacket before turning on the faucet, holding the stained portion of the material under the cold water. Emily told herself not to cry but when she couldn't hold it in, she bit her bottom lip to stop herself from making a sound as she let the tears fall. She hastily dried her eyes and stared at her reflection in the mirror, making sure there were no traces of her tears before going out. Emily took a deep breath, trying to compose herself and she nodded her head firmly after she turned off the faucet. She turned around to open the door and stepped out of the bathroom, running smack into Paige's body. She heard the girl's sharp intake of breath and she told herself to step back, not meeting Paige's eyes.

"Sorry." They said at the same time.

"You were in there for quite a while. I was just going to check to see if you were okay." Paige continued, taking a step back as well.

_No. I'm not. Because we're not_. Emily nodded. "I got the stain off but I have to wash this immediately. And I, uh... remembered that I have to study for this quiz in my language class this afternoon so I have to go." She lied as she walked past Paige and headed to the living room.

Paige followed the girl and watched Emily gather her things, debating whether or not to tell the girl not to leave. _Ask her to stay. Ask her_. But she just followed Emily to the door.

"Thanks for lunch." Emily uttered once she was standing outside when she couldn't think of anything else to say to the girl.

"I think I should be the one saying that. You brought the pizza." Paige reminded Emily.

"You should ask Kayla to eat the rest with you tonight. There's still plenty to go around." Emily said before gesturing behind her and managing to give Paige a small smile.

"Yeah. Maybe I will." Paige answered, her eyes never leaving the girl's.

Emily fought the urge to lean forward and kiss Paige knowing the girl will just pull away. "I'm gonna go now. Bye." She said instead, waving awkwardly before turning around to head for the bank of elevators.

"Bye." Paige repeated softly, following the girl with her eyes until Emily rounded the corner and disappeared. She then closed the door and leaned against it, frustrated.

* * *

Emily hurriedly entered the locker room in Sheerr Pool on Thursday morning, heading straight for her locker so she could grab her things and take a quick shower. She was already running late for her shift at the Café because the team's coach just asked to speak with her after their practice, taking her to the side to point out that her performance this morning was far from stellar. Like she needed Coach Mike to tell her what she already knew. She was distracted and it showed in her swimming. Emily pulled open the locker door, rummaging absentmindedly around her duffel bag for her bath items and clothes, her mind on Paige despite the lecture she got just now.

"Coach Mike done grilling you?" Emily looked up and managed to keep her expression neutral when she saw Cesca approaching her.

After Paige told her the reason for Cesca's hatred, Emily spent less time with her teammate. It wasn't intentional. And it's not like she was mad at the girl or anything. She just didn't like being caught in the middle of a Cold War between old friends so she avoided Cesca in favor of Paige, uncomfortable spending time with a person who loathed the girl she cared about.

"Yeah." Emily answered, returning to searching for her clothes.

"I guess I wasn't the only one who noticed that you've been off your time for a few days now." Cesca continued, standing behind the girl. "Everything okay with you?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah. Just have a lot of stuff going on in my life right now." She explained without turning around to face the girl.

"Anything I can do to help?" Cesca offered, walking a few steps so she was standing next to Emily.

"Thanks but you wouldn't understand. It's not really something I can talk to you about." Emily admitted, giving the girl an apologetic look.

"Because it's about you and Paige?" Cesca guessed.

"There's no me and Paige." Emily told the girl, feeling like she was telling the truth despite lying. "It's related to MUSE." She added just to satisfy the girl's curiosity.

"The marketing organization. So you went through with it. You joined." Cesca said, smiling at the girl. "Well you fit right in with that crowd. I don't see why you're having trouble with it now."

"Like I said, you wouldn't understand." Emily repeated, closing her locker door. "It's not a big deal, really. And I promised Coach Mike I'll work harder to improve my times."

"Emily." Cesca called out before the girl could head for the showers. "I'm still your friend." She began, giving the girl a small smile. "I'm not dense. I know you've been avoiding me because we don't see eye to eye when it comes to Paige. But she's not the only person we have in common. There's also Jai." She reminded the girl. "I wasn't able to make things right with her but that doesn't mean I forgot that we were friends for years. Just knowing that you made Jai happy and that you loved her is enough reason for me to like you." Cesca admitted. "But before I knew you were friends with them we got along. Regardless of me knowing them before you and you knowing them after they left Girard, you and I got along. We can talk about other things entirely unrelated to them. So whatever your problem is about MUSE, if you need someone to talk to. I'm here." She said earnestly.

"Thanks." Emily uttered, giving the girl a grateful smile before heading for the showers.

Cesca reassuring her that they're friends should've made Emily feel better. But instead it reminded her that while she _does_ have people she can talk to about other things, when it came to the one thing that mattered right now, she had no one.

* * *

"We should celebrate!" Reese suggested, raising her voice to be heard above the excited chatter around them as she got off the bus in the parking lot of Penn Park on Saturday afternoon. "Throw a party or something. Maybe at your place?"

"Oh no way!" Paige protested, shaking her head vehemently. "My neighbors are going to complain and I'm not a good host, Reese. If you want to party so much go throw it somewhere else."

The women's track and field team just got back from their first indoor track meet of the spring semester and having placed first, it wasn't surprising that everyone's in a festive mood ever since they left Bethlehem.

"Fine. Maybe we'll just go to a club then. I'm not really in the mood to play host and clean up after." Reese admitted, slinging her duffel bag over her shoulder as they made their way to their respective cars. "Want to come? Check out what a non-gay club looks like?"

"I'm pretty sure it's the same as a gay club. Only with the dance floor filled with straight people." Paige answered wryly.

Reese shrugged. "Still. Could be fun. Unless of course you already made plans tonight to celebrate our win with a certain raven-haired barista. In which case I completely understand." She added teasingly.

Paige gave her friend a strained smile. "No. I didn't make plans with Emily." She answered, gripping the strap of her duffel bag tighter. _In fact, we haven't talked to each other since that awkward lunch last Wednesday_.

"You know... I'm inclined to believe that lie if she wasn't waiting for you by your car." Reese said, subtly inclining her head to their right. "This is the second time I've seen her waiting for you."

Paige glanced towards the spot where she parked her car and true enough, Emily was standing by the passenger side, one hand in the pocket of her fleece jacket, the other holding a black paper bag.

"What time did you say the party was?" Paige asked, looking at Reese again.

"Around ten. Let's meet outside Fluid. It's a club on Fourth Street between South and Bainbridge Streets. I'll give the others a heads up." Reese decided. "And it's not an exclusive party." She added, giving Paige a pointed look. "I'll see you tonight." She said, touching the girl's arm before heading to her car.

Paige sighed and reluctantly made her way to hers, steeling herself for another awkward conversation with the raven-haired girl.

"Hey there hot stuff." Emily said in greeting, cringing inwardly at the words she just uttered in her nervousness.

"What are you doing here?" Paige asked once she was standing in front of the girl.

"I thought I'd wait for you. Find out how your first indoor track meet went." Emily explained, fidgeting with the handles of the paper bag she was holding. "Why do you look surprised?"

"I just didn't expect you to be here." Paige admitted.

"What are you talking about? You told me about it." Emily reminded the girl, giving Paige a small smile.

"I know. I just didn't think you'd remember." Paige clarified, placing her hands inside the pockets of the trousers of her tracksuit. "And even if you did, you didn't have to wait for me here. You could've just called or texted to ask how it went. Saved you the trip and having to stand in the cold."

Emily's smile faltered. "I don't mind waiting. I want to hear all about it in person." She managed to say in an upbeat tone despite getting the impression that Paige didn't really want her around and that the girl felt like she didn't care. "Congratulations, by the way." She continued. "Judging from the chatter when you guys arrived I'm guessing you won first place. You must be ecstatic."

Paige nodded. "Thanks." She said, playing with the strap of her duffel bag to hide her discomfort.

"Um... here. I got you something." Emily revealed, finally handing to the girl the paper bag she was carrying.

Paige accepted the gift, giving Emily a puzzled look. She opened the bag and stared at what was inside before looking at the girl again

"It's the replacement for the hoodie I gave you." Emily explained, now thinking that it was a bad idea just from studying Paige's reaction. "I bought it before I came here."

"Thanks but you really didn't have to get me a new hoodie." Paige said, noting that now the hoodie inside the paper bag was the same as Emily's red one. "I already have a lot of jackets."

"Paige... I'm trying here." Emily pointed out, her voice almost pleading. "It's more than just a hoodie and you know that. It's what giving you that hoodie meant. And though I did it back then as a friend, my reason for giving you that one now is the same. I still want you around. But clearly you don't feel the same way." She guessed when Paige just stood there. Emily reached for the paper bag while fighting for composure but the girl moved it out of her reach.

"I'm sure I can find room in my closet for this. And I probably look better in red anyway." Paige added, giving Emily a faint smile. "Thanks."

"So do you want to celebrate?" Emily asked after a moment of silence passed between them. "We could order takeout? Have dinner at your place? My treat." She offered, hoping this time she could change things between them.

"Um... I'm kinda tired. Rain check?" Paige suggested, unable to tell the girl that she's blowing her off to go to a club. On any other day she would ditch the party to celebrate with Emily. But she could barely touch the girl and being alone with Emily was so painfully awkward that she found herself lying instead.

"Yeah. Of course." Emily answered, giving Paige a reassuring smile. "I'll... um... I guess I'll see you around." She continued, walking past the girl to head to the bus stop.

"I can give you a ride back to Harrison." Paige called after Emily.

Emily shook her head. "It's fine. I don't mind taking the bus. You had a pretty tiring day so you should rest." She insisted, hiding her disappointment with another smile before turning around to resume walking briskly towards the bus stop.

Paige cursed herself inwardly and dropped her duffel bag on the ground before running after the girl. "Emily, wait. I'm not too tired for you." She said when she was close enough. "Come on. I'll give you a ride."

Emily swallowed hard, her heart racing and she turned around to face Paige. "Okay. Thanks." She uttered before heading back to Paige's car with her head down.

Paige stared at Emily, knowing she was hurting the girl. She was starting to get really frustrated with herself. She agreed not to end things with Emily. But now she can't bring herself to touch the girl. Things between them were getting worse. She had to do something. Only she didn't know what.

* * *

Kayla stepped out of the elevator close to one in the morning, letting out a chortle when she stumbled. "I think I'm drunk." She stage-whispered, leaning on the wall beside the elevator for support.

"Gee, you think?" Paige retorted, rolling her eyes before she moved to support Jai's sister. "Passing yourself off as straight _and_ over twenty-one will do wonders to your blood alcohol level. How many guys offered to buy you drinks and how many did you accept?" She asked as she guided Kayla to the girl's apartment.

Paige made a last-minute decision to invite Jai's sister to come with her to Fluid earlier that night. She didn't want to come alone and since Reese said that the party was non-exclusive and Kayla had a fake ID, she thought she'd ask the girl to go to the club. It was Saturday night and they haven't gotten a chance to hang out recently considering they were neighbors so she wanted to spend time with the girl. Only the girl spent the night downing drinks, flirting with guys and letting loose on the dance floor that Paige spent _her_ night watching Kayla instead.

"Why? Are you jealous?" Kayla said in reply as she rested her head on Paige's shoulder groggily.

"No. I'm _annoyed_." Paige corrected the girl. "You could've gotten in trouble if one of those guys slipped something in your drink. Good thing Reese told me what you were up to. Keys." She ordered, extending a hand towards the girl.

Kayla shifted a little, rummaging around her purse for her house keys. She finally found it and handed them to Paige but dropped it at the last second. "Oops." She muttered, laughing.

Paige sighed and guided Kayla to rest against the wall beside the door before bending over to retrieve the keys from the ground. She slid the key into the lock when she found the right one and grabbed Kayla by the waist as they entered the apartment.

"Why didn't you ask Emily to come with you tonight?" Kayla suddenly asked, breaking the silence between them as Paige took her to the bedroom. "I forgot to ask earlier when you showed up in my front door wearing this." She continued, placing her hand on the exposed skin between the waistband of Paige's dark denim mini skirt and the hem of the green form-fitting shirt the girl was wearing.

Paige gently pushed Kayla's hand away. "I wanted to spend time with you." She said before depositing the girl on the bed. She took off the girl's shoes and reached for Kayla's purse before gently moving the girl so Kayla was comfortable. "We haven't spent time together considering we live on the same floor. And clubs are your thing."

"Are you two fighting again?" Kayla asked, ignoring Paige's answer and looking up at her with heavy-lidded eyes.

Paige shook her head. "No. We're not." She answered, finally sitting next to the girl.

"Then why do you look so sad all night? We were in a club. Good music, good food, celebrating your team's win. But all night you were detached. Why?" Kayla asked, blinking her eyes slowly.

"Emily called me Jai." Paige confessed after a moment of silence passed between them. "A few days ago. We were hanging out and... she apologized but I can't move past it. I want to but I don't know how."

Kayla raised her upper body and supported her weight with her arms. "Hanging out like this?" She asked before leaning forward and kissing the girl.

Paige's eyes widened and she quickly pulled away when she felt the girl's lips on hers. "Kayla you're so drunk you don't even know what you're doing." She admonished the girl. Paige wiped her mouth with the back of her hand twice but she could still taste the alcohol.

Kayla rested her head on her pillow again, closing her eyes to stop the room from spinning. "At least I have an excuse. What's yours?" She slurred, turning her body to face Paige with her eyes still closed. "You know Emily's probably never gonna get over my sister if she's still thinking about Jai. So why do you still want to be with her?" Kayla managed to ask before falling asleep.

_Good question_. Paige thought, staring at the sleeping girl. She pulled the comforter on the foot of Kayla's bed until it was under the girl's chin before she got up and slowly made her way to the door, stopping in front of Kayla's study table when she saw a photo. A photo of Jai's family with Emily and the four were smiling for the camera. She wasn't there but she knew of it because Kayla wouldn't stop raving to her about the place and giving her a blow by blow account of everything that happened once they got back. It was taken when the Hayes went to Cabo for a couple of weeks one summer. Logan invited Emily to join them and Jai convinced Pam and Wayne to allow their daughter to come. Paige glanced at Kayla before she reached for the picture frame, her thumb lightly grazing Emily's features.

_Why?_ "Because I'm never gonna get over her." Paige whispered, staring at the girl's smiling face.

* * *

Emily opened her eyes when she heard her phone ring from her bedside table, using it as an excuse to get up and abandon any attempt of trying to fall asleep. She had been lying in her bed ever since Paige dropped her off, not really having any energy to do anything so she just wallowed in her bed, staring at the ceiling until it got dark. Spencer went home for the weekend so she had the room to herself and she was relieved that she didn't have to lie when her friend asks why she was sulking. She reached for her phone and felt her mouth run dry when she saw Paige's face on the screen. It was close to two in the morning so she was confused as to why the girl was calling her. Maybe Paige was going to tell her that the girl wanted to stop seeing her. Emily felt a lump form in her throat when the thought crossed her mind and she considered not taking the call. Delaying the inevitable. Still... the girl might be calling for a different reason. An emergency of some sort and she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if Paige needed her and she didn't come to the girl's aid.

"Hello?" Emily said in greeting, her voice hoarse.

"Hey. Sorry. Did I wake you up?" Paige asked uncertainly.

Emily moved to make herself comfortable and sat on her bed cross-legged. "No. I wasn't asleep. I couldn't sleep." She admitted. "You?"

"Same." Paige replied.

Emily bit her bottom lip, her pulse racing as she waited for Paige to tell her the reason why the girl called. She tried to breathe as noiselessly as possible but things in her room and on the other end of the line were so silent that she still heard herself exhale and she heard the faint sound of bed sheet rubbing against skin over the line, telling her that Paige was in bed, just like her.

"So." Paige finally said from the other end of the line before Emily could break the silence.

"So." Emily repeated.

"Is Spencer there? Can you talk to me?" Paige asked.

"Yeah. Spencer went home to Rosewood for the weekend. It's just me." Emily revealed, glancing at the other side of the room.

"Good. So... what did you do yesterday?" Paige continued.

"Nothing much. My day was pretty boring." Emily answered, relieved that Paige called just to talk. "I had pancakes for breakfast, then I went to a workshop for MARC. Had pasta for lunch with some of my batchmates from MUSE then we resumed the workshop. I didn't stay long though. I left early so I could buy the jacket and then wait for you outside Penn Park. You drove me back to Harrison and I've been lying in my bed since then."

"You didn't eat dinner?" Paige asked, concerned.

"Wasn't really in the mood to eat." Emily admitted. It's not like she could keep anything down with how much her stomach has been churning at the mere thought of her situation with Paige. "How was your day?" She asked, shifting the topic of conversation to the girl.

"Good." Paige began. "I had a muffin and a banana for breakfast. Spent the whole day in Bethlehem. Ate a bunch of carbs for lunch. Won first place. Went home and arrived on campus to see you waiting for me. Drove you back to Harrison. Ate a slice of the leftover pizza from last Wednesday for dinner..."

"And?" Emily urged when she felt like Paige was about to say something else.

"I went to a club with some of my teammates to celebrate and I asked Kayla to come with me. We got back almost an hour ago." Paige confessed.

"Oh." Emily uttered, biting her bottom lip. "Guess you weren't so tired after all. Must be that leftover pizza you had for dinner. Gave you an energy boost." She added, trying to make it sound like a joke but her voice cracked. "Well at least you had fun with Reese and Kayla tonight. I mean you did. Right?"

"I'm sorry." Paige said earnestly, ignoring the girl's question. "For lying about my plans this evening. Saying I'm tired and that I didn't want to celebrate."

"It's fine. You're supposed to be celebrating your team's win and being with me hardly puts you in a festive mood lately." Emily pointed out, trying to make her tone sound light. She really understood Paige's reason for not wanting to be around her. But it still hurt.

"Don't say that. It's not fine. I'm being a jerk. You apologized for the slip up several times. And I said okay but my behavior speaks otherwise." Paige admitted. "I didn't even apologize for making you wait for two hours for me after your meeting last Tuesday. And yesterday I practically rejected the jacket you bought me because I couldn't get past the idea that you just felt guilty that's why you bought me a new one."

"I get it. Being distant and wary around me. I'm not mad. It's fine. I understand." Emily promised. "But I want you to know that you're important to me. I know you don't... I know it's hard to believe right now. But you are. And I listen. When you talk. When you get excited about something in your life. I listen. You matter." She said earnestly.

"Want to have dinner with me later? We could have a post celebration." Paige suggested.

Emily frowned. "I have a workshop with MUSE in the afternoon and I don't know what time we're going to be done. Lunch?" She asked instead.

"My dad's coming over." Paige reminded the girl. "Lunch tomorrow?"

"Lunch with Spencer." Emily answered apologetically. "Dinner tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Yeah okay." Paige finally agreed. "Oh..." She suddenly uttered.

"What?" Emily asked, biting her bottom lip. "Rain check again?"

"No. I just remembered that I made plans with Brian. I promised I would take him to the arcade for a few hours after his soccer practice." Paige admitted. "I won't be home until eight or nine. So if you want to have lunch or dinner on Tuesday instead..."

"No it's okay. I can still come over." Emily interjected. "I'll bring the dinner. It's my treat since we're still celebrating your team's win even if it's been two days since you guys won." She added, making Paige laugh.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow night for dinner then." Paige affirmed. "Are you sleepy now?" She asked after a moment of silence.

Emily stifled a yawn. "Yeah but... can we stay on the line until we fall asleep? You can tell me about your week." She suggested. She and Paige were finally talking and she didn't want to stop just so she could sleep.

"No. I'd rather hear about yours." Paige said, making Emily smile. "You didn't tell me how things went with your first MUSE meeting. How was it?"

Emily lied down and turned to face the window, imagining that Paige was lying next to her despite the size of her bed. "It was good." She began, a huge smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. "I met most of the members and my batchmates before the meeting and so far I like them. But the best part was during the meeting. When everyone was exchanging and throwing ideas. I felt like I was in a huge think tank..."

* * *

"Whoa. Slow down buddy. You're gonna get ice cream all over your shirt." Paige said, leaning forward to wipe off the chocolate ice cream on Brian's chin before it made its way to the boy's white soccer shirt. "You _really_ love chocolate ice cream, huh?" She asked, giving the boy an amused smile.

Brian nodded his head eagerly. "When my mom gets home from work we always eat chocolate ice cream together. It's our thing." He said as he dangled his feet on the chair he was occupying before licking his ice cream again.

The two were currently seated on one of the tables in the food court of King of Prussia Mall on a Monday afternoon. Brian got tired of playing in the arcade and when Paige suggested that they sit for a bit, the boy hurriedly asked that they get ice cream in the food court. Paige agreed and bought a bottle of water for herself and an extra one so the boy could wash the ice cream down once he's done eating.

"Yeah but it's still winter. Aren't you cold?" Paige asked before taking a sip of her water.

"A little. But I read somewhere that eating something cold when you're cold is good. Because your body then works overtime to keep you warm." Brian revealed matter-of-factly.

"I see. And where did you read that?" Paige asked, amused.

"Sophia lent me a science book last week." Brian whispered, his cheeks starting to flush. "I thought I wouldn't like it. But it's really good. I think I love science now because of her."

"Sophia's really smart, huh?" Paige asked, wiping another chocolate liquid dripping from Brian's chin.

"She is. She's in the top of our class. And she's really popular. That's why a lot of boys like her." Brian admitted, frowning.

"Ah. Girl problems. I have them too, buddy." Paige said, giving the boy an understanding smile.

Brian stared at Paige in disbelief. "What's _your_ problem? You're with the really pretty girl you like." He pointed out. "Mine won't give me the time of day unless I read a book she likes."

"Reading is fun." Paige encouraged. "And if you do that you and Sophia will have something to talk about. Like science."

"I guess." Brian said reluctantly. "But it's just because the science book had cool stuff in it. If she gives me a math book I'm a goner. I hate math." He added, making a face before eating the waffle cone of his ice cream.

Paige laughed. "Get Sophia to teach you. Maybe it won't be so bad." She said, tousling the boy's hair affectionately.

"You're lucky. You don't have to keep impressing the girl you like." Brian commented without looking at Paige as he concentrated on eating the cone.

"Why do you say that?" Paige asked, giving Brian a curious look.

"Duh. She's already impressed with you. Otherwise she won't be with you. That's why I was asking what your problem is if the really pretty girl you like is already _your_ really pretty girl." Brian pointed out.

"Well _my_ really pretty girl called me by a different name." Paige revealed, unable to believe that she was talking to a kid about her problem. "The name of someone who died not too long ago."

"Did she say she was sorry after?" Brian asked, swallowing the last of the waffle cone he had been eating.

Paige nodded. "Several times." She admitted.

"Then I don't see the problem. Missis Brandt said that people make mistakes. Sometimes a lot. Sometimes not so much. But we all make it. We're not perfect. But if they apologize afterwards and mean it, you should forgive them. God forgives you all the time." Brian pointed out.

"Who's Missis Brandt?" Paige asked, confused.

"My Religion teacher. She also sings and plays the piano during mass so she's close to God." Brian added proudly. "You should listen to her and forgive Emily."

"I _did_ forgive Emily." Paige said, twisting the cap of the other bottle of water to open it before handing it to the boy. "But it still hurts. I'm not God, Brian. Kinda hard to just let it go."

Brian nodded. "Yeah. I know the feeling. When I was four my mom used to call me Billie all the time when my sister went to Pittsburgh to live with my dad." He revealed before taking a sip of his water.

"All the time?" Paige repeated, looking at the boy hesitantly.

"Well not _all_ the time. Just when I do something that Billie used to do and she sees it." Brian clarified.

"And you never said anything." Paige added, frowning.

"Oh I did. At first I didn't because I was confused. But eventually I did. When she called me Billie the first time I remember running to the front door because I actually thought my sister came home." Brian said, laughing. "Then it happened again when I went inside the house after playing outside and my shoes were muddy because it rained. My mom was furious when she saw the muddy shoe prints leading to the bathroom and she called out my sister's name. That's when I first told her that my name's Brian and she apologized for the mistake." He revealed, playing with the cap of his bottle of water. "Then I noticed that although it wasn't all the time... when I do something wrong and she scolded me, she would yell Billie's name first. That's when I realized just how much she missed my sister and that what I just did reminded her of Billie. So I tried to understand her. After that I just kept reminding her that I'm a boy whenever she called me Billie. My sister's the girl, I'm the boy." Brian said, pointing to himself. "Then one day I decided to do something different. When my mom got home from work I saw how tired she was so I went up to her and took off her shoes and offered to massage her feet. Something Billie never did. And she liked it. After that she told me we should eat ice cream when she comes home at night and that it would be our special thing. She still missed Billie. What I did didn't make her forget about my sister. Not that I wanted her to. I love Billie a lot. But that night I did something my sister never did. And my mom saw that."

"My situation isn't exactly the same as yours." Paige told the boy wryly. It was easy for kids to forgive an adult. Because it was easy to pacify a kid and they don't hold grudges for long. Their innocence was still intact and their view of the world wasn't jaded.

"I know. But... what did you do anyway?" Brian asked, looking at Paige curiously. "You must've done something that's why she called you by a different name."

"She said stop and I didn't." Paige confessed.

"Well next time you should listen to her. Was she angry?" Brian asked worriedly. "When she said the other person's name. Was she angry? Sad? Happy? Excited?"

Paige shook her head. "No. She wasn't any of those things." She replied.

_She was scared_. Paige thought when she remembered Emily's voice when the girl called out Jai's name. But she didn't get a chance to ask why. Emily said Jai was patient with her. That her best friend understood and that nothing happened between them. Maybe that's the reason why Emily didn't want to be intimate with her now. Because the girl wanted her first time to be with Jai but that will never happen. So she probably shouldn't expect anything to happen anytime soon between them. Something she'll eventually be fine with. But that meant curbing her lust whenever she's with the girl or finding a way to relieve herself.

"I want to play Guitar Hero next." Brian decided, jumping up.

"Okay. But I'm taking you to Reese after." Paige reminded the boy, getting up as well.

"But I want to hang out with you some more." Brian pleaded, pouting.

Paige smiled. "Me too. But I have plans tonight." She revealed apologetically as they made their way back to the arcade.

"Ooh. With Emily!" Brian exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Are you gonna kiss her?" He asked teasingly.

Paige laughed. "Maybe." She admitted. "Hey Bri. What we talked about earlier... it's our secret, okay?"

Brian nodded. "Yeah. You can trust me. I'm everybody's secret keeper!" He yelled proudly before running ahead of Paige.

"Reese is gonna kill me." Paige muttered under her breath as she watched the boy run around the mall in circles.

* * *

Clean slate. That was what they agreed on. Not tabula rasa. But ever since that night that she uttered Jai's name by mistake, she and Paige have barely spent time together and when they do, things are awkward. Emily was getting frustrated. Even if Paige told her things between them were fine, it was obvious that the girl was hesitant to touch or kiss her and she didn't want to force Paige to a make out session when it was obvious that what happened was still fresh in the girl's memory.

But Emily can't bear sitting this close to Paige and not touch the girl. They talked until the sun was up last weekend. That's progress. Right? Maybe Paige won't avoid her now. She watched the girl take out the contents of the paper bag which held the dinner she brought with her when she came over and decided to try something. Emily moved a little closer to the girl, purposely brushing her skin against Paige's ever so slightly and felt her breath hitch. It seemed ages ago that they've touched and she missed being held by the girl. It was amazing how much Paige affected her. But just when Emily thought they were making progress, Paige visibly flinched and moved a little away from her.

Emily bit her bottom lip in frustration before grabbing the paper bag. "Let me help." She offered, placing her hand near Paige's. She hoped Paige would at least touch hands with her but the girl handed the paper bag to her instead and busied herself with transferring some of the food to their plates. Emily took out the rest of their dinner from inside the bag and then faced Paige.

"Kiss me." Emily ordered, staring at the girl. They had to start somewhere.

Paige stopped what she was doing for a second before continuing as if she didn't hear Emily. "I'm famished." She replied, trying to hide her nervousness. "Maybe later." She added without so much as a glance at the girl.

"Paige." Emily uttered, reaching out to take the girl's hand in hers and refusing to release her grip on it when Paige tried to remove her hand. "Why won't you kiss me?"

"What are you talking about? I've kissed you." Paige answered even though she knew what Emily was trying to say.

"I meant until recently." Emily clarified. "The last time we kissed was that night. You haven't kissed or touched me since then."

"It's not a big deal." Paige insisted.

"Yes it is. Before that night we couldn't keep our hands off each other and now it seems like you're afraid to touch me or something." Emily said, finally realizing the truth as soon as the words left her mouth. "That's it, isn't it? You're scared to kiss me." She stated. Paige didn't say anything but Emily could see the answer written all over the girl's face. "Paige... I promise it won't happen again." Emily said earnestly.

"I believe you. I'm just doing my part to help you keep your promise." Paige explained.

"By refusing to kiss me?" Emily guessed, releasing Paige's hand.

"I just don't want things to get out of hand. If we start kissing my hands might wander again and... I just think it's better if I don't initiate things." Paige insisted.

Emily knew Paige was really hurting because of what happened and she didn't know what to do. She just knew her brain wasn't going to make the same mistake of saying Jai's name again knowing how much the girl seated beside her was struggling with her slip up.

"I want to be able to move past what happened." Emily said quietly. "But we won't be able to do that if you're not willing to try." When Paige didn't say anything, a thought crossed her mind and she summoned the courage to ask it. "Do you want to go back to being friends because of what happened and you just don't know how to tell me?" Emily asked, fearing that Paige's feelings for her have changed.

Paige shook her head. "I've never seen you as just a friend and I never will." She admitted.

Emily's pulse quickened at the words the girl said and she decided to take the first step towards breaking the cold spell. She slowly leaned in close to kiss Paige on the cheek. "So can we please try? I want to feel your arms around me again." She said quietly.

Paige bit her bottom lip, deciding what to do with what the girl just asked of her. She wanted to be able to kiss Emily like before. But the thought of hearing Jai's name again in the middle of a heated make out session was stopping her from making a move. She wanted to get past what happened. And if Emily wanted that as well, maybe they could do it together. Taking a deep breath, she finally faced Emily but still refused to look the girl in the eye. Emily slowly wrapped her arms around Paige's neck and smiled when the girl wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Paige finally looked into Emily's eyes and leaned in close, their lips grazing.

Emily closed the distance between them, feeling lightheaded the instant Paige's lips began moving against hers slowly, like trying to get used to kissing her again. Paige felt her heart hammer as their lips parted and met softly and she heard herself sigh when they came up for air.

"Not bad, right?" Emily asked as she rested her forehead against Paige's, a feeling of warmth spreading through her when she saw Paige finally grin.

Emily kissed Paige on the lips again, this time with more urgency before gently pushing the girl to lie down on the couch, moving on top of Paige without breaking contact. Paige held Emily by the girl's slender waist, pulling Emily closer to her as she savored the feel of the girl's body against hers.

Emily's lips began to make their way towards Paige's neck, missing being able to kiss every inch of soft skin she can get access to. "I missed you." She whispered breathlessly.

Paige swallowed hard. "I missed you too." She admitted, her voice hoarse as she gazed at Emily's face. She smiled faintly when the girl tenderly brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes.

"We can stop if you want." Emily said when she saw the twinge of fear and worry in Paige's eyes.

Their position on the couch could mean that the next time their lips touched their kisses would eventually turn heated and she understood the girl's anxiety. Even if she didn't want to stop kissing Paige and have Paige kiss her back, she didn't want the girl to feel pressured.

"Dinner might get cold." Paige said as she glanced at the food on the coffee table beside them. "And I _am_ kinda famished. She admitted. "All I had when I was with Brian was a bottle of water."

"Say no more." Emily said, sitting up straight to disentangle herself from Paige and continue transferring the food to their plates.

Paige began helping Emily with the task, this time touching the girl's hand when she grabbed the plate to let Emily transfer some noodles in it. "Maybe we can continue later." She suggested, staring at the girl.

"I'd like that." Emily answered, smiling as she held out to Paige the plate of food she prepared for her.

* * *

Paige stood in front of Kayla's apartment door on Tuesday morning, debating whether or not to knock. Not that Jai's sister noticed or anything, but she had been avoiding running into Kayla since Saturday. She knew she had nothing to be guilty about. It's not like she kissed Kayla back. But now that she and Emily were slowly getting back to being intimate, she just had to know if Kayla remembered what happened that night. She omitted the entire thing when she and Emily talked on the phone for hours and she was still trying to decide whether or not to tell the girl.

"Paige." Kayla's surprised tone in front of her jolted Paige out of her reverie.

"Kayla." Paige said in greeting. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't notice the girl's door open.

"Um... did you need something or are you just lurking on my front door?" Kayla asked, amused.

"Where are you going?" Paige said in reply.

Kayla creased her brows. "_To school_. I'm running late actually." She added, checking the time on her watch. "So if you need something..."

"My earring." Paige blurted out.

"Your earring." Kayla repeated. "The one you asked me about last Sunday through text if I saw."

Paige nodded. "That's the one." She confirmed, trying not to act nervous.

"Paige, I told you I can't find it." Kayla reminded the girl. "Why are you so eager to find that piece of jewelry when you don't even wear it when you're going to class?"

"Because. I just don't like having an incomplete pair of earrings lying around." Paige explained. "Did you look everywhere?" She asked, trying to find out if Kayla's memories about that night returned.

"Yeah. Even my bedroom." Kayla revealed.

"Why would you look in your bedroom?" Paige asked, studying the girl.

"Well I don't know where else to look." Kayla replied exasperatedly. "You said you misplaced it somewhere in my apartment and I've looked outside. The only places I haven't were in the bathroom and the bedroom. If you like that pair of earrings so much I'll try looking for it again tonight."

"Yeah. Okay. Thanks." Paige said, turning around to leave.

"Hey. I have a question." Kayla called out, making Paige anxious.

"I thought you were running late?" Paige reminded the girl.

"Yeah well I'm already late thanks to your earring emergency just now." Kayla shot back. "Why are you pretending that Saturday night didn't happen? I was the one who got drunk. Not you."

"So you remembered." Paige guessed. "Sorry. I just didn't want to make you feel awkward."

"Awkward? Why would I feel awkward around you? Did I do something wrong?" Kayla asked, studying Paige.

Paige shook her head. "No. No you didn't. You were just really drunk so you weren't yourself." She clarified.

"Oh no. Did I kiss a guy?" Kayla guessed, frowning.

"Uh... I don't think so. What do you remember about Saturday?" Paige asked cautiously. "The latter part."

Kayla pursed her lips, thinking hard. "Well I remember you escorting me out of Fluid. Nagging me for pretending to be straight and twenty-one. Then something about blood?" She said, looking at Paige.

"Yeah I was escorting you out of the elevator at that point. I was too annoyed at you back at the club to say anything." Paige admitted.

"Oh. Okay. Well after that I don't remember much. I just wanted to sleep. Mind telling me what happened after that would make you think I'd be awkward around you?" Kayla asked expectantly.

"There was no particular thing." Paige replied. "I just thought your behavior when you got drunk would make you feel awkward. That's it."

"But what happened after we got here?" Kayla asked, curious.

"I helped you get into bed. Tucked you in. Then you fell asleep." Paige said, now the one who's feeling awkward.

"Well I'm checking my bedroom again for that earring then. If you tucked me in it must've fallen off. You should've told me that sooner. Saved me the trouble of turning my entire apartment upside down." Kayla complained, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "If that's all I'm gonna go."

"Yeah. That's it. Sorry for making you late." Paige said apologetically.

"It's fine. I'll give you that earring once I find it." Kayla promised before walking past the girl and heading for the elevators.

Paige watched Jai's sister for a few seconds before going back to her apartment. So Kayla didn't remember what happened. The conversation and the drunken kiss. That's good. Right? She had no reason to be worried now.

* * *

_Ten Months Ago..._

"So everything's set for tonight." Emily repeated, making Paige roll her eyes in exasperation.

Emily ignored the girl seated in front of her on the dining table at the Hayes household and focused on Logan and Kayla instead. It was a Saturday afternoon and the three of them (well four if you count Paige's snorts and grunts as contributions) were making last-minute preparations over a late lunch for Jai's arrival tonight. Logan and Kayla decided to be in-charge of the surprise welcome home party and told Emily they don't mind if she picked up Jai from the airport by herself. The three of them tried to convince Paige to come with Emily but the girl declined saying she didn't want to be the third wheel in a reunion of sorts and that her father was home for the weekend so she'll just attend the party after dinner at her house.

"Yes. We got everything covered on this side of things. You just pick up Jai from the airport and drive her here and we'll take care of the rest." Kayla reassured the girl.

"Emily, relax. Everything's going to be perfect." Logan promised.

"I know. Sorry. I just really want tonight to go off without a hitch." Emily admitted. "I still can't believe she's coming home." She said, staring at the empty seat next to hers.

In just a few hours she would be able to hold Jai again. Her girlfriend would be back and they would be together for the rest of her senior year, continuing the rest of their plans for high school. Emily shifted in her seat when she felt her phone vibrate from the back pocket of her jeans.

"It's Jai." Emily said, smiling when she saw who was calling. "Excuse me." She uttered apologetically, getting up to take the call in the living room instead.

"Hey, love." Jai's voice on the other end of the line came through before Emily could say anything.

"Hey!" Emily exclaimed, pleasantly surprised with the last-minute phone call from her girlfriend when she checked the time on the grandfather clock and saw that it was almost two in the afternoon.

"I'm just calling to check on you before I board my flight." Jai explained.

"You're really coming home tonight?" Emily asked, still unable to believe that she was finally going to see Jai again after being separated for months.

"Yeah. I am." Jai answered.

"I can't wait to see you. I miss you so much." Emily admitted, feeling like she was about to cry.

"I miss you too." Jai said softly. "Hey Em..."

"Yeah?" Emily uttered, waiting for the girl to continue.

"When I get back... we need to talk about some things. About our future. We need to make some changes." Jai clarified.

Emily furrowed her brows. "That sounds bad." She said, her other hand touching the locket on her necklace. "Like breaking up bad."

"No. No we're not breaking up." Jai reassured her girlfriend. "I just think we need to make some changes about what we want in life. What I want in life."

"But... I'm still a part of that life, right?" Emily asked, her voice hoarse.

"Yeah. You're still the girl I want to have a future with, Em. But I want to make some changes. We'll talk about it some more when I get back. Okay?" Jai asked.

"Okay." Emily repeated.

"I have to go. My flight's boarding." Jai said reluctantly. "I love you."

"I love you too." Emily said earnestly.

**88888**

Emily bound down the stairs, taking the steps two at a time when she heard the doorbell ring again followed by insistent knocking. She was in her room, getting ready to meet Jai and her mom was out visiting some relatives so she had no choice but to get the door.

"I'm coming!" Emily called out when she heard the doorbell again.

Emily checked the time on the wall clock in her living room and groaned when she saw that it was already past seven in the evening. Jai's flight would arrive at eight.

"You're really late." Emily said in greeting once she opened the door and saw Paige standing outside. She managed to change the girl's mind once they left the Hayes' so now Jai's best friend was coming with her to pick up her girlfriend from the airport. "I should've borrowed Logan's car instead." She added as she stepped aside to let the girl in, walking towards the mirror mounted on the vestibule to check her reflection one last time.

Paige stepped inside the house, a feeling of dread overcoming her. She gently closed the door behind her, not knowing how to start. "You haven't heard?" She asked, feeling sick to her stomach that she had to be the one to tell the girl the bad news when Emily was standing there oblivious to the chaos in the outside world right now.

"Heard what?" Emily asked, looking at Paige.

"Your mom or dad didn't call? Your friends?" Paige continued, looking around them helplessly.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked, starting to get anxious.

"Jai's plane." Paige uttered, hoping those two words were enough to let Emily know the horrifying reality.

"Was it delayed? Is that why you got here late?" Emily guessed, moving to walk past the girl and head upstairs.

Paige reached out to stop Emily, holding the girl's arm firmly. "No. Emily... Jai's plane." She repeated, her voice hoarse.

Emily shrugged off Paige's hand. "You're starting to scare me." She said, taking a step back.

"I'm so sorry." Paige uttered helplessly.

"No." Emily said, shaking her head. "No." She repeated firmly.

Paige swallowed hard. "It's all over the news." She said softly. The two girls looked towards the living room when they heard the phone ring, the sound disturbing the eerie silence in the house. Paige stared numbly at the vibrating phone on the vestibule. "That's probably your mom or dad or one of your friends." She said as she took a small step closer to the visibly shocked girl. "Emily."

"Stop." Emily ordered, raising a hand to stop Paige from walking closer. "You're lying." She said stonily.

"I'm not. You know I'm not. Turn on the TV." Paige urged.

"Leave." Emily uttered, struggling to breathe.

"No. I am not leaving you tonight." Paige said firmly.

"Just leave!" Emily shouted, taking a step back.

"Emily." Paige whispered, trying to hold the girl.

"Please." Emily pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry." Paige repeated, feeling helpless as she watched the girl breakdown.

"Oh God. No." Emily cried, crumpling in a heap on the floor. "No. No. No."

"Paige." Paige turned around when she heard her name and saw Spencer standing in the front door, breathless.

"Spencer. Where's Hanna and Aria?" Paige asked, relieved that one of Emily's friends finally arrived.

"I called them. They're on their way." Spencer answered without looking at the girl, walking past Paige to go to her grieving friend.

"I didn't know." Paige said as she stared at Emily weeping brokenly in Spencer's arms. "I thought... she knew. That she saw it on TV so I drove here. I didn't want to be the one to break it to her." She continued, trying not to sound defensive but she felt like it was her fault why the girl was beside herself right now. "I'm gonna go." Paige decided, feeling like she's done enough damage tonight. "I think it's better if her friends stayed with her instead." She uttered, leaving the house without waiting for Spencer to acknowledge her.

* * *

_Present Day..._

Emily balanced the brown paper bag she was carrying in her arms, transferring the weight on her left arm so she could free her right and open Paige's door using the key the girl lent her earlier. It was a Tuesday night and after how things went last night, she and Paige decided to have dinner again. She offered to go out and buy their food when she got to the apartment an hour ago and saw how tired the girl was. Paige admitted that she was beat because her coach called for an extended track practice today since they had another meet on Saturday and after their win last weekend, the man was making sure that the team wouldn't slack off and get complacent. Emily decided to borrow Paige's key so the girl wouldn't have to get up when she returned in case Paige was resting. She pushed the door open and entered the apartment, using her foot to close the door behind her once she was inside.

"Paige?" Emily called out when she saw that the girl wasn't in the kitchen, the living room and the balcony. "I'm back!" She added as she placed the paper bag on the kitchen countertop.

When there was no response, Emily headed straight for the girl's bedroom, an eager smile on her lips at the thought of seeing Paige. She was about to call out again when she saw that the bedroom door was ajar. Emily moved to push it a little wider but she stopped in her tracks, surprised to see the girl's back turned to her.

_Paige's naked back_. Emily felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment and was about to blurt out an apology for barging in when she realized that Paige didn't hear her come in. She willed herself to look away, feeling like a pervert for watching the girl change but she couldn't. She stood there, admiring Paige's curves, a sudden surge of desire coursing through her when she remembered how smooth the girl's skin is. Emily felt her pulse race. This was the first time she's seen Paige naked. Or any girl naked for that matter. Granted it was just a topless Paige so it was semi-naked really. But the fact that she was insanely attracted to the girl wasn't making things easier.

_Please wear a bra_. Emily pleaded, feeling uncomfortable at the thought of being alone with Paige right now. When Paige moved to put on a loose shirt, Emily groaned inwardly. She hurriedly made her way back to the kitchen and busied herself with preparing their dinner, hoping her cheeks weren't flushed. She jumped back in surprise when she felt Paige's arms around her waist.

"Hey. I didn't hear you come in." Paige said in greeting before depositing a soft kiss on Emily's nape, making the girl shiver.

"Yeah." Emily uttered, a little breathless. "I called out but you weren't answering. I figured I'd start taking these out." She continued, managing to sound normal despite the pounding of her heart. Emily closed her eyes when she felt Paige move closer, the girl's breasts brushing against her back. "Paige." She whispered hoarsely.

"Yeah?" Paige asked as she brushed Emily's hair to one side and kissed the girl's nape softly.

"I'm hungry." Emily blurted out, moving away.

Paige furrowed her brows, confused. "Okay. Let's eat." She said, reaching for the paper bag to help the girl prepare their dinner but Emily moved it away from her.

"I got this. Just sit on the couch and I'll bring them over." Emily offered, willing her pulse to return to normal.

Paige nodded and walked past Emily to grab a couple of plates, glasses and utensils before she headed to the living room. She set everything down on the coffee table and grabbed the remote control before settling on the couch. Paige pressed the mute button to return the sound. She muted it earlier when Emily called the restaurant and ordered their dinner and she forgot about it.

"What's on TV tonight?" Emily asked as she began to remove from the paper bag the cartons of food she bought, trying to keep her mind off Paige's bare back.

"Uh, I don't know. Haven't had the time to browse the channels." Paige admitted as she switched to another show. "You're the one who turned it on." She added teasingly without looking at the girl.

"What?" Emily uttered, feeling her cheeks flush.

Paige briefly turned around to face Emily. "The TV? You turned it on when you got here." She reminded the girl.

"Right." Emily said, grateful that the lights were dim or Paige would notice her blush. "Busy day today?"

"Yeah. I'm so exhausted with our classes and then that track practice earlier." Paige answered over her shoulder as she returned her attention to the TV screen. "How's your day?"

"Okay." Emily answered as she walked over and sat beside the girl, putting a little distance between them.

Paige studied Emily before she offered the girl the remote control. "Trade you for dinner?" She said, waving the rectangular object in front of Emily. She moved it out of the girl's reach just as Emily moved to take it. "Tell me what's wrong first."

"Nothing's wrong." Emily replied, unable to stop her mind from going back to seeing Paige's naked back earlier.

"You're jumpy. Something's wrong." Paige pointed out. She placed the remote control behind her, completely out of Emily's reach, and waited for the girl to speak.

Emily tried to move past Paige, struggling to get the remote. "I'm just starving and I want to watch TV." She insisted, starting to get annoyed at Paige's antics but the girl found the situation funny.

"Tell me." Paige ordered, grinning. When Emily leaned forward to grab the remote behind her, Paige took the opportunity and captured Emily's lips on hers, stealing a kiss from the girl.

Emily quickly pulled back, the surge of lust she felt ever since she accidentally saw Paige earlier coming back the moment the girl's lips touched hers. "Why did you do that?" She asked, her voice hoarse.

"Because you haven't kissed me since you arrived and I thought we're back to being able to kiss each other." Paige said lightly. She moved to grab the remote behind her and finally handed it to the girl. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong." Emily repeated. She took the remote and faced the TV, switching channels every few seconds to find a good show.

Emily was aware that Paige was watching her, still trying to figure out her weird behavior while transferring some of the food to their plates. A moan coming from the TV screen made them stop what they were doing and for a while, they sat on the couch transfixed as they watched the two girls on screen getting it on, their moans the only sound audible in the room. Quickly, Paige grabbed the remote from Emily's hand and switched it to an infomercial. She put down the remote on the coffee table and continued what she was doing, not meeting the girl's gaze.

Emily bit her bottom lip anxiously. "I didn't know you have porn." She finally said.

"I don't. That must've been a glitch in their system or something. I'll call the cable company first thing tomorrow and ask them." Paige said, still not meeting Emily's eyes.

"Do you watch it?" Emily asked after a beat.

Paige looked up at the girl, surprised. "Porn? No." She replied. "Okay so I might've seen a few. But not on purpose. I don't go out of my way to look for it." She added hurriedly. "Em, come on. That was the first time I saw that channel. I swear." Paige insisted when the girl just kept staring at her.

"But you think about it. Sex." Emily clarified, her voice hoarse.

"I feel as if there's no right answer to that." Paige said warily, putting down the carton of food she was holding.

"So that's a yes then." Emily concluded, distressed.

Paige sighed. "Em..."

"If you're tired of waiting you know you can just sleep with someone else. It's not like we're exclusive or anything." Emily reminded the girl, trying to seem unaffected.

"I am _fine_ with waiting. I don't want some other girl. I want you." Paige insisted.

"But I'm not ready." Emily confessed.

"I know that." Paige said understandingly.

"But you wished I was." Emily guessed when she recalled all the times the girl tried to move past first base.

Paige ran a hand through her hair wearily. "Okay that's another question I prefer not to answer. If I say no you'll think I don't want you. If I say yes you'll think I'm pressuring you." She pointed out. "Whatever my answer is you're going to take it the wrong way. So you tell me what you want me to say to that."

"I want you to say no." Emily answered.

"Why are you so scared to know that I want you? Most girls would be thrilled to know they're desirable." Paige said, giving the girl a puzzled look.

"I'm not like most girls, okay? If you want to have sex so much go out and sleep with someone who's easy." Emily suggested, starting to get frustrated.

"Em, why are we fighting about this?" Paige asked, confused. "I thought we talked about this last week? I am not pressuring you. I can wait."

"Well you're going to have to wait a lot longer." Emily said, getting anxious. "If you can't do that then just tell me. I can't even think about getting naked in front of you. Just the thought of undressing..."

"Em, it's not a big deal." Paige promised.

"Yes it is!" Emily exclaimed.

"Why? You don't have to prove anything to me." Paige said softly.

"Are you sure about that?" Emily asked, giving Paige a worried look. "Why do you want me?" She continued. "Why would you want me when in your eyes I'm a zero?"

Paige swallowed hard, fighting the overwhelming urge to retch when realization dawned on her. She got it wrong. Jai didn't do anything to make Emily scared. The girl didn't say Jai's name that night out of fear. She said it because Jai stopped and the girl was holding on to that memory. Emily's reluctance to go beyond kissing... was her fault.

"Remember?" Emily continued, her voice hoarse.

Paige _did_ remember. And the thought that Emily was scared to be intimate with her now because of it made her nauseous. "It was a game." She finally uttered. "It was a horrible, mean game and I can never apologize enough for playing it." Paige said earnestly. "But you're not the only one who's scared, Em. It terrifies me to get naked in front of you too."

"It does?" Emily asked, surprised.

Paige nodded. "Yeah. I don't know what gave you the idea that I have experience. I don't. I have zero experience beyond kissing." She promised, moving to tuck a strand of hair away from the girl's eyes. "Everything we're doing, I'm doing for the first time with you. I'm scared too. But... I don't want us to pretend that we're not thinking about doing it eventually. Because I think about it. When I think about you, when I'm with you, I think about it. But admitting that doesn't mean I'm getting impatient. You were never a zero. So don't think that I want you just because I'm trying to get you to prove something to me. I don't want you to be scared by how much I want you. And I don't want you to hide the fact that you want me too. It shouldn't terrify you. I mean... you _do_ want me, right?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes." Emily answered, an image of a semi-naked Paige flashing in her mind. She _does_ want the girl. And that was the reason why she was terrified. Because she wanted Paige. But she didn't know if Paige would still want her when she bares herself to the girl. A part of her still felt like she was just going to disappoint Paige right now.

"Then don't feel ashamed about it. It makes me happy to know that you want me too. Just because you admitted it doesn't mean we're going to have to start sleeping together. Okay?" Paige said, giving the girl a small smile.

"Okay." Emily repeated, smiling back.

"Now can we please have dinner?" Paige said, staring at the food on the coffee table. She reached for a packet of soy sauce and tried to open it. "Shoot." She muttered when a line of black liquid squirted from the packet onto her white shirt. She quickly put down the condiment on her plate and tried to wipe the liquid off her shirt.

"I'll get it." Emily offered when they heard a knock on the door. "Better wash that off before it stains." She told Paige as they got up at the same time. She headed for the front door to see who was outside while Paige headed for the bathroom. "Kayla." Emily uttered when she saw who it was.

"Em." Kayla said, staring at the girl. "Sorry." She finally said when she realized she was standing there like an idiot. "I was just surprised. Paige usually gets the door."

"It's fine. This _is_ her apartment." Emily said, smiling. "You want to come in? She's in the bathroom washing off a soy sauce stain." She explained, stepping aside to let the girl in.

"Oh. Okay. Well that might take a while." Kayla guessed, choosing to stay outside. The two girls were obviously having dinner and she didn't want to intrude. "Can you just give this to her?" She asked, handing Emily a gold dangling earring. "Paige has been looking for that since Sunday. Tell her sorry it took me so long to find it but it _was_ in my bedroom."

Emily stared at the earring in confusion and surprise but tried to keep her expression neutral when she looked at Kayla again. "Yeah. Okay." She said, closing her hand and smiling at the girl.

"Thanks. Have a good night." Kayla said before heading back to her apartment.

"Yeah. You too." Emily replied before closing the door. She walked a few steps towards the kitchen and stopped when she heard Paige's voice.

"Well it's official. My white shirt is ruined." Paige complained, emerging from her bedroom with a black shirt on and throwing the white shirt in the hamper beside the washing machine. "Who was at the door?" She asked, walking over to Emily.

"Kayla. She stopped by to give you this." Emily said, sliding the earring on the countertop towards Paige. "Said she found it in her room just now but that you've been looking for it since Sunday. Why was that in her room?" She asked, looking at the girl suspiciously.

"She was drunk and I helped her get into bed. It must've fallen off when I pulled the comforter." Paige answered, taking the earring without meeting Emily's eyes.

"We were up talking on the phone for hours and you somehow failed to tell me that you tucked her in." Emily pointed out.

"It slipped my mind." Paige lied, not knowing how to tell the girl about Kayla when they've just gotten to a good place.

"What else slipped your mind?" Emily asked, studying Paige.

"Like I said. She was drunk. Like _really_ drunk. She didn't know what she was doing." Paige finally said, meeting the girl's eyes.

"Oh." Emily uttered, moving away from Paige.

"Em, nothing happened. Okay?" Paige insisted. "She kissed me but I pulled away the second she did. Believe me. She doesn't even remember what happened. I asked."

"You asked?" Emily repeated, feeling nauseous. "You asked because you weren't drunk so you remembered what happened but you didn't tell me. Why?"

"Because it didn't mean anything." Paige answered. "I didn't kiss her back. The thought never crossed my mind." She insisted. "Em... I don't feel anything remotely romantic for Kayla. I promise nothing is ever going to happen between us."

"Is that why you called me? Because you felt guilty?" Emily asked, feeling like the two days they've spent mending what they have was caused by Paige's guilt. "I say Jai's name by mistake and you let Kayla kiss you so now we're even?"

"No. I did not _let_ Kayla kiss me. I didn't call you because I felt guilty after what happened. I called because I realized something." Paige hurriedly explained. "I admit that I didn't know what to do. About us. Everything was so awkward when we're alone. I can't even touch you and I knew I was starting to hurt you. So yeah. I didn't know what to do." She confessed. "I took Kayla home and she was really drunk so I helped her get to bed. While I was in her room she asked why I was distant the entire night. And I was so conflicted that I told her that you called me Jai while we were hanging out and I couldn't seem to get past it. That's why I asked if she remembered what happened. Because I know that you don't want her to know and I don't want her to know either and if she remembered I know I just screwed up." She continued. "Kayla kissed me out of the blue, I pulled away. I told her she's so drunk she didn't know what she was doing and she said that was her excuse. Then she asked what was mine."

Paige swallowed hard. "Before she passed out Kayla asked me something. She asked... she said... that if you uttered Jai's name it meant that you're probably not over her and that you probably never will be. So she asked why I still wanted to be with you. The answer to that was the reason I called. Talking to Kayla reminded me of why I'm still around. Why I wanted for things to work out between us. Why I finally tried to reach out." She explained gently. "I didn't call you because she kissed me and I felt guilty." Paige repeated, taking the girl's hand.

"I kept telling you she likes you but you wouldn't believe me." Emily reminded the girl, torn between being jealous and hurt.

"It doesn't matter. Because I love you." Paige confessed.

"What?" Emily uttered, slowly removing her hand from the girl's. "Paige... you can't." She said, feeling like she was about to faint.

Paige gave the girl a confused look. "I can't love you." She clarified, hurt. "Why and how am I supposed to do that exactly?"

Emily felt a lump form in her throat. "I'm sorry. I can't..."

"It's okay if you can't say it back. Not right now." Paige said understandingly.

Emily shook her head. "I don't want to hurt you more than I already have so I'm telling you now. I can't say it back." She confessed. "Please don't say those words again." She whispered, her hands trembling.

Paige just stood there, not knowing how to respond to the girl's words. Her mind was trying to understand but her heart couldn't come to terms with the girl's rejection of her love. It was too much. And she didn't know if she could stay.


End file.
